Fight
by SLITH
Summary: The team has decided to go to Oregon to hunt down the 63's up there. Rebecca and Lucy take off together first, but on the way over, their plane crashes. Sabotage. The girls are now being hunted while Doc & Hauser work to find the girls.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Alcatraz, the show or characters. This was written purely for fans to enjoy.

I would like to thank my Beta's Duzell-Reincarnated and Vick Pena for helping me out. I have never had a Beta look over my work before, but when I came up with this story I wanted it to be done as good as it could be.

* * *

They had captured or lost the 63's in San Francisco. Thanks to the map found in that hidden room, the group is preparing to set off for their next city. Knowing where the higher risk prisoner numbers are, they are headed off to Oregon, where a nice cluster of the inmates are.

Pulling up to the runway, Rebecca sees Lucy standing with Hauser next to a small plane and, as usual, both look upset about something. Parking her car where one of the guards working for Hauser directed her to, Rebecca grabs her two traveling bags, regular luggage and carry-on.

"You can't stop me from going," Lucy says and looks just beyond Hauser to see Rebecca walking over. Feeling irritated and haughty, she takes a breath to maintain control. "Look, I'll go with Rebecca now that she is here. I'm not going on my own."

Turning to look over at Rebecca, Hauser, feeling equally irritated, asks, "Where's Soto?" He wants to protect Lucy and keep her out of harm's way, but every time he tries, she pushes to stay and they argue.

"He had a break-in at his comic shop this morning; when I went to get him he was busy going over everything with the detectives. They have to go over insurance and figure out if anything is missing yet. They told me they would be a while with him, so I decided to come here to drop off my stuff," Rebecca explains. When she mentions 'break-in' Hauser rolls his eyes.

Heaving a sigh, Hauser finally accepts and motions for Rebecca to continue to the plane. "I'll stay here and wait on Soto then; you can both go ahead,"

The size of the plane is very small, enough for a bit of cargo and 2-3 passengers. 'All of that high tech equipment in Alcatraz and we get to ride in this?' Rebecca thinks, getting up the last steps and ducking for the low ceiling just as the pilot takes the luggage to secure it.

"Hello Ma'am, my name is Ernest, I'll be your pilot," Ernest says with a smile. He is an older gentleman, younger than Hauser and Ray.

"Hi, Rebecca Madsen," she holds out her hand and shakes his. Looking outside to see Lucy coming up the steps, Ernest asks the doctor, "You want shotgun?"

Shaking her head quickly, Lucy declines. "No thank you…I'm not one for flying or heights." Rebecca nods with a smile as the pilot closes the door and moves into his seat.

"How are you going to handle the ride?" Rebecca asks as she moves into her own seat and then straps herself in.

"Music," Lucy smiles, "and I am a light sleeper so I don't plan to."

"Fair enough," Rebecca looks over her shoulder to see her iPod. Putting on her headset, she watches the pilot flick the switches, turn the knobs, move the lever to finally see and feel the propeller start up. "How long will it take to get there?"

"It will take a few hours, depends on the weather on the way over. If you get hungry, I have some chocolate bars and fudge in your glove compartment," Ernest smiles as the plane began to vibrate. Taking the biggest stick he pushes it forward for the plane to begin rolling forward.

Lucy has her eyes closed, music playing loudly for now, at least until they get in the air.

Looking out the window, Rebecca watches as the plane slowly picks up speed, no longer watching the pilot's actions, and then the plane lifts off the ground. She smiles. 'Man has it been a long time since I've been in a plane... first time riding up front... this is so awesome.'

Climbing and climbing, the large buildings decreasing in size, within a few minutes Ernest was able to fully level the plane out. "Going to make a left here, we're taking the ocean view."

"Business or pleasure?" Ernest asks after ten minutes of flying over the water.

Looking over, Rebecca thinks 'I wish it was for pleasure,' as she recalls her argument with Ray last night.

_Stepping into Ray's bar, Rebecca saw he was busy and realized it was football night, so she took a seat at his bar to avoid the commotion of football fans. He gave her a smile when he spotted her and she smiled back. 'Every Sunday this time of the year is his busiest.' She opened up her notebook and read over the plans for the next two days._

_Ray walked over with a drying towel over his right forearm and mug in his left hand. "What cha' up to?" he glanced at the notebook. He wouldn't read what she had, he'd rather her tell him. After everything she has been through in the past month with catching the 63's, Tommy stabbing her and her dying. 'She is one stubborn kid,' he thought and watched her look up at him._

_"Tomorrow morning I'm going up north to track down a bunch of 63's up there; we have a map that has all of the 63's listed," Rebecca said and Ray leaned forward, setting the mug down._

_"Rebecca, you'd be going into their territory, you know San Francisco and should stay here," Ray stated for Rebecca to close up her book and put it into her inside pocket. That was when he spotted the plane ticket. "Oregon! That's pretty well at the boarder!"_

_Looking back at him, "I know, but we need to get these guys-"_

_"They can get them, Hauser has his own people working behind the scenes that are more than capable of handling all of these 63's. There is no need for you to be going up against the worst of the worst!" Ray said, his anger showing more and more._

_"If they don't know we are coming, then we have the element of surprise. And we do, I am good at what I do!" Rebecca defended, "and I'll be careful-"_

_"Damn it Rebecca!" he slammed his hand down on the table. His voice boomed, and behind him the crowd cheered at the same time and didn't notice. He let his head hang for a few moments. Rebecca felt herself sit up straight as if she were getting straightened out by her police chief. Always ready to explain her actions. And she knew she had picked up on Ray's stubbornness._

_He looked up at her and locked eyes. "You are like a daughter to me Rebecca... I cannot stand the idea of losing you to them, again."_

_Before she could respond, he turned away as he could hear someone calling for refreshment. That and he knew this argument wasn't over. It would not be over until she stopped looking for the 63's. With her going for up north, she will be the furthest she's ever been and he cannot help her or be there for her when she'll need him._

_Rebecca sat there for a moment. 'He's worried for me... I know that... he practically raised me and I see a father figure in him.' She looks up at him and stands up from her stool. "I'll be back Ray."_

"Business," Rebecca answers and Ernest nods as he looks at the view and then back at her.

"Is this your first time going up?"

"Yeah."

"What is it you do back home?"

"I'm a homicide detective."

"You don't say?" Ernest smiles at her, "I felt a vibe that you mean business when I first saw you." He looks out the front again and a flock of birds comes up across their vision a few feet away.

"Wow..." Rebecca doesn't even realize she said it out loud.

"Yeah, it's up here that I love, not down on the ground." Ernest chuckles. "You can see why."

"I can, it's stunning up here," Rebecca agrees and they fell into silence, just enjoying the view.

* * *

The plane jerks, 45 minutes in the air and Rebecca watches as Ernest hits a switch, do it again, and again. He curses as the plane lurches.

"What's going on?" Rebecca asks. Lucy, noticing the plane suddenly getting a little bumpy, takes out one head phone.

"I don't know; she just came out of inspection this morning. Passed with flying colours... it could be a number of things," Ernest says as the rotor starts making coughing sounds. "Uh-oh... we need a landing spot."

Turning the wheel to the right to aim for land, he has turned half way when a beeping alarm goes off and then the blades stop spinning. "Oh shit... come on girl," Ernest pleads. He begins moving switches, hitting buttons, and the alarms do shut off, but the rotor hasn't turned back on.

The plane begins to take a nose dive. Rebecca reaches back with her left hand to grab at Lucy's right knee in case if she has fallen asleep by accident. Lucy grabs Rebecca's hand briefly, then lets go and Rebecca goes to clutching at her arm-rest as Ernest smacks the console.

The blades begin spinning back to life and he pulls hard immediately. "Come on, old girl, come on. Keep going for old daddy," he mutters as the plane begins to turn upward.

Only now the plane is going straight for a tree line instead of nose diving into the water. "We're going to crash," Ernest says as Lucy leans forward for a better view, and then immediately sits back when she sees what they do.

Rebecca watches in horror as the ground comes up fast. Ernest hits a big red button at his side, and she feels the plane do something. Her heart is pounding against her ribs. 'I'm sorry Ray,' she thinks as she closes her eyes. She then re-opens them just before feeling a yank in her seat and then the plane hitting some trees sends them all forward.

To Be Continued...

* * *

What did you think? Tell me your thoughts! Please R&R.

By: SLITH


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you my Beta Duzell-Reincarnated for going over this chapter for me, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and as a little extra, I made a music video for Alcatraz. www dot youtube dot com / watch ? v = 3DUtWLuwHcw if that doesn't work it's name is: Alcatraz ~Looking Back~ Rebecca

* * *

Her head is aching, her mind feels like it is wrapped up in cob webs and all sounds are at a distance trying to come through a dense fog.

Feeling around with her hands, Rebecca thinks 'It's cold and hot and -' She gets startled into opening her eyes by a spark hitting her right hand. Everything is in slow motion, bright with a dark cloud in her vision.

She looks to her left to see Ernest working on his belt, using a knife to cut through the straps. He looks at her. His headset is off and he has some dark marks on his face as well as blood coming down from the left side of his forehead.

His mouth is moving but his voice sounds so distant; as she squints and looks down at her own belt, her hearing suddenly comes back with a pop and everything is back at normal speed. She reaches down and pushes the release button, freeing herself from her restraints.

Looking up, Rebecca sees the front windshield is almost completely gone, the dashboard is a mess, and she can feel something warm on the side of her head. 'Okay, we have to get out, patch up, figure out where we are, establish contact, figure out what went wrong and get the hell out of here,' she thinks and looks over her shoulder to see Lucy is also stuck in her seat. "Hang on," Rebecca says, and her own voice hurts her head. 'This is going to suck...' She feels her head start to ache more.

Getting up, Rebecca moves over to Lucy just as Ernest gets himself free."Here, use this." He hands it over and grabs his small fire extinguisher starts using it on the dash.

Within a few seconds, Rebecca has Lucy free from her seat and Rebecca pulls at the door latch. It doesn't open. 'Come on... can't I catch a break?' She shoulders it and then motions for Lucy to move back. Rebecca takes a step back and she kicks the door and it swings open.

"Go!" Rebecca tells her and Lucy climbs out of the plane while Rebecca goes to the cargo and grabs a first aid kit and their luggage to hand it over to Lucy before climbing out of the plane herself with Ernest following.

"Are you ladies all right?" he asks as he checks over the nose. There is no way to salvage the plane. One of the wings is gone, the other is bent up, and the nose is broken and open.

Holding her head, Rebecca sighs, "I'll live," and Lucy opens up the first aid kit and goes through it while Ernest uses the extinguisher on the front of the small plane.

"I'm alright; you and Rebecca both need to get cleaned up," Lucy says and Ernest drops the extinguisher to look at Lucy as Rebecca turns around to face her.

Lucy goes into her luggage and pulls out one of her make-up kits, eye shadow and with it is a mirror. She tosses it to Rebecca and then she goes back at the first aid kit. Rebecca's eyes widen. "That explains the head ache," she mutters. Blood trickles down the side of her face to her lower cheek from a cut going horizontal above to the left of her right temple. When she hands the mirror to Ernest he smiles and says, "I've never looked so good!" He makes an 'Oooh' face before sitting down on the dirt and closing it up as Lucy walks over to him. She goes onto her knees and pulls out some gauze with disinfectant. "Making me nice and pretty?" he tries to joke and then his wound is touched. "Ow!" he winces and Lucy purses her lips.

"Sorry, did you manage to radio for help?" Lucy asks as Rebecca goes through her own luggage and pulls out one of her hand towels that holds her toothbrush and toothpaste together.

"No, even if I did make a radio call, we would be lucky if someone picked up on our signal. We're too far from where we took off that we'd be in range. We need to make contact somehow, and I need to figure out what caused us to crash... in the meantime, we can only hope someone saw us go down," Ernest answers as Rebecca puts her hand towel into the tower.

She wipes off the blood on her face and rinses it to bring it back for Ernest, cleaning up dirt and what else caused the dark marks on his face while Lucy cleans his cuts. "Do you know where we are?"

He looks up, biting his lower lip as he thinks it over and pictures it in his mind. "I need a map," he concludes. Rebecca gets up and climbs into the plane, moved through to the front and opens the glove box to see what is left: a couple of energy bars, Snickers, Mars, Hershey, Oreo and a map that is partially damaged. Grabbing all of it, Rebecca comes out to see Lucy putting a band aid on Ernest's last cut.

"That should do it. I'll check my own bag for pain killers," Lucy says, as she knew that they both must be feeling it from their bad cuts.

Rebecca hands the map to Ernest and he opens it up to their area. He bites his bottom lip as he recounts the flight and time. "This is our general area," he points and Rebecca looks over his shoulder.

She frowns, "Damn... nothing is very close. I'd say our best bet is Redwood Lodge, but it's a long ways away," Rebecca comments and Ernest nods.

"Yes ma'am, but it is our best bet." He looks at his watch. "You should get patched up and I'll see what happened and if I can salvage anything else," Ernest says as Lucy pulls out Tylenol.

"You'll need at least two of these," Lucy hands the container to him and then turns to Rebecca, "You should take one for now. Take a seat."

Giving a small groan as she sits down, Rebecca winces as the movement really makes her head ache. Ernest then hands her the pill container and walks to the plane to inspect it. "If we don't hear or see anyone, we should make camp here," Rebecca says as Lucy uses a fresh piece of gauze with rubbing alcohol onto her cut.

Hearing her friend hiss in pain, Lucy gives an apologetic look "Sorry, and I agree. Hauser most likely doesn't even know we've crashed," Lucy comments and Rebecca swallows a pain killer.

* * *

Lucy has just finished writing SOS in big letters on the small amount of beach that there is and Rebecca is walking into their small camp with a bundle of branches and twigs when Ernest drops the radio.

"It's broken, burnt right through," he says, staring at the black hole that takes out a corner. He then looks up at the ladies and says, "And I figured out what went wrong." He walks towards camp and parks his butt on the ground. "The plane got tampered with."

Blinking, Rebecca looks at the plane. "Our plane was sabotaged? What did they do?"

"They made it so the fuel tank was diluted, just enough gas to get us here and then on top, water. They took out a few other things as well... whoever did it wanted us to land here. Who would be after you ladies?" He looks up as Rebecca and Lucy sit down, looking at one another. "You're a cop," he says looks at Rebecca and she nods to Lucy.

Normally, they wouldn't let anyone else in for how absurd it all sounds. Knowing their plane was sabotaged, that someone wanted them to crash here, opened their eyes that their trip to the new 63's is no longer a surprise.

"We are part of a small team that is hunting down prisoners from Alcatraz. On March 21, 1963, the prisoners were said to have been taken off of the island and transported to another place; only that is not what happened. They disappeared, all 302 men, and they have begun to reappear all around the world, in 2012. We have been tracking them down through advanced computers, police radios and more to put them back behind bars and serve the rest of their sentence, and one has already tried to kill me," Lucy says, looking at Rebecca, who is watching Ernest's reaction.

"One of the inmates is my grandfather, and they somehow figured out that we're coming for them in Oregon... it's the only thing that makes sense. The world's worst killers are on the loose and we are working on catching them and putting them all away."

Ernest puts his head into his hands and then ran his fingers through his short hair before folding his fingers together and propping his head on them. "Alright, if you don't wanna say, that's fine." He smiles at them and then sees the chocolate bars in a pile, and then up at the sun that is beginning to go down. "Let's start a fire, and decide how to conserve our food supply until help arrives."

Having dug a pit near the tree line they each begin snapping the branches and tucking the twigs and tree shavings that Rebecca gathered with his knife. Ernest goes into his pocket and pulls out a lighter. "You never know when you'll need a light," he smirks and lights up the shavings, watching as the flames lick the twigs and slowly start catching.

"Okay... rationing... I'd say half a chocolate bar each for now. I know it has been hours since we've crashed, but if help doesn't arrive, we need to conserve," Lucy advises, and she gets nods of approval from Rebecca and Ernest.

Their stash consisted of a chocolate chip energy bar, chocolate caramel, a large Hershey bar, Oreo bar, Snickers and Mars.

"Ladies first, I like em' all," Ernest opens his hands, as if to say _dig in_.

Rebecca reaches forward at the same time as Lucy; she grabs the Snicker's while Lucy goes for the Mars. Ernest then reaches in and grabs his Oreo bar. Opening them up, they happy eat half of their chocolate bars while the fire starts picking up.

Rebecca and Lucy go into their luggage bags and pull out sweaters as a cold breeze sweeps past. "I'll pull the first watch," Rebecca volunteers as she zips up her heavy jacket with a wind breaker shell exterior.

Ernest gives her a funny look. "Don't be silly," he starts to argue, obviously not believing their story.

"I'm used to working long shifts while you spent a long time working on the plane. I'll take the first four hour shift and I'll wake up Lucy at 11 and then she wakes you up at five," Rebecca insists and he holds up both hands.

"Alright, alright, you win," he says, dropping his hands. "But if no one comes, we pack up camp at 8 and go for Redwood Lodge; it'll take us maybe two days at max to reach."

"Sounds good," Lucy accepts and grabs one of her extra sweaters to use as a pillow. Lying down on her side, facing the small fire, Lucy closes her eyes. She didn't think she was tired, but the trauma of the plane crash and the new situation puts her out in a few minutes.

Ernest curls on up on his right side, his back facing the fire. He isn't tired and is staring off into the trees. Wondering who sabotaged his plane, why they did it, and what the ladies did. Knowing the blonde is a cop makes him wonder if someone she put away got out from behind bars and is now coming after her. 'If that was the case, how many are we looking at? For all I know, she could be a dirty cop and I need to pick the right side when the time arrives,' he thinks and closes his eyes. 'Let help arrive so I never have to find out.'

Rebecca looks at the fire, assessing. 'Well... we need more wood if help doesn't arrive during the night,' she thinks. Standing up she steps around the fire and Ernest, knowing he isn't asleep yet as she'd already seen Lucy's eyes moving from under her eyelids.

Ernest opens his eyes and looks over his shoulder to watch her go into the trees and disappear. He turns back over and wonders, 'Can I trust her? How well do these ladies know each other or did they just meet for business now... damn it. Why are these questions coming up now?' he closes his eyes again, willing his mind to rest so he can get some sleep.

Walking back into camp with a bundle of branches in her arms, Rebecca sets them down in a pile, close to the tree line edge. She sits down just above them both this time, closer to the tree line, where the wind is less likely to hit her.

Looking down at Lucy, she frowns 'She doesn't look like she's having a pleasant dream,' she thinks. Looking at Ernest she sees his body tighten and loosen. His left leg gives a small kick. 'He seems restless... he isn't going to fall asleep easily or he won't fall asleep at all. Is this his first time crashing? How long has he been a pilot?' She purses her lips and ponders. 'Is his mind racing with scenarios? He doesn't know us; he knows I'm a cop, but that's it.'

Moving over closer to Ernest she touches his left shoulder and he turns to look over his shoulder at her slowly. "Want to talk?" Rebecca asks in a hushed voice. Knowing they have a big trek ahead of them, she doesn't want them to be taking too many stops due to a bad night's sleep.

"About?" Ernest asks as he thinks to himself, 'Sure I'd like to ask you questions, but if you are a dirty cop, I don't want to have to fight you.'

"How long have you been a pilot?" Rebecca asks and she watches his body relax a bit.

Surprised by her question at first, he answers, "Fifteen years," and watches her nod.

"How many times have you crashed?" she asks and he blinks.

"Why do you ask?" Ernest returns, wondering to himself, 'Did she expect this? Wonder how well I would handle a plane going down?'

"You seem tense, I was wondering if it is because you are having trouble after the crash," Rebecca responds as she continues to watch his body language. He tenses up when she asked the question and seems to relax again with her answer.

"Oh no... I've crashed six times... well part of it is the crash. Every single one is different in the situations and how it impacts you," Ernest explains and then he yawns.

Rebecca could sense a _but_, however, she knew it wouldn't come up. "I'll leave you alone to rest up," she says and moves back to being just above both of their heads. Another gust of cold wind sweeps by and she folds her arms across her chest.

'Just go to sleep, I'll get my answers later... go to sleep,' Ernest instructs himself. He closes his eyes and focuses on home.

* * *

"They should have been there hours ago. They didn't check into any other air port and no one has seen the plane since," Hauser mutters to himself, irritated. He expected to hear from Lucy when they landed, but when they never did and Soto finally arrived he got worried. Doc is looking over video footage and the regular search windows.

It took Doc till noon to finally get to the air port. Hauser was quiet but his eyes and body language showed his anger. Doc couldn't tell if it was being aimed at him, that Hauser wasn't able to watch over Lucy or if he just thought the break in was terrible timing. There is one thing that bugged Doc, and it now bugged Hauser: if there is a connection.

Doc's plane ticket was sitting on his desk, like it was dropped there, inside of his desk drawer. Most of the documents and comics were littered over the floor, a chair was knocked over, a lamp broken, his laptop was open, but they never hacked it. Wondering if he had been targeted for a specific reason when he saw the plane ticket, he told Hauser.

Now they're both worried about a plane crash; it is the only thing that adds up and they're waiting on a report from the shop about any suspicious behavior and Doc is looking at the video surveillance.

"There!" Doc exclaims and Hauser's attention goes to the screen immediately. "That's Owen Sampson; he's a 63, coming out of the shop!"

"Damn it!" Hauser clenches his fists and grounds out, "The warden must know what we're up to... but what does he want?" He puts his hands on the desk and stares at the footage. "Get into their employee list, see if he is listed or not."

Doc clicks something here and types a little there and soon a screen pops up. Doc scrolls through it, the sighs. "No... he's not here. Which means-"

"That he broke in to sabotage, the warden knows we're hunting down his inmates, he doesn't want us knowing what he's up to and most likely wants us out of the picture. With a huge quantity of killers, thieves, and more at his disposal... we need to find that plane and find out what Sampson did," Hauser concludes briskly and starts to walk away. "We need to speak with the employees, find out who saw him doing what and see if there was a tracker on the plane."

Doc gets up and follows him, now really worried about the situation. 'Has the warden sent an inmate to take care of the girls? Damn it... if Tommy wasn't still on the loose this wouldn't have happened!' He mentally kicks himself for the day when he found Rebecca lying on the road, for not getting there sooner, for not being with her during the whole situation.

* * *

It's 9:45 p.m. and Ernest finally fell asleep an hour ago. Lucy stirred a couple of times, but stayed asleep. 'I wonder what Doc and Hauser are up to...' Rebecca muses. 'No doubt trying to find us and what happened to us. The warden knows we're after the inmates... if I had handcuffed Tommy like I was going to instead of going through the motions of what he'd told me, we wouldn't be stuck here. Help isn't coming; at least not for a while... we have to hope there are berries in the woods that we can eat. They have no idea how far along we got, that we went over the water instead of land... there's just too many questions and not enough answers. It's up to us to contact them.'

Looking over at Ernest, she thinks 'He was probably going over worst case scenarios... I can't blame him for suddenly being edgy around me. He doesn't believe what Lucy and I are doing, possibilities will form in his head, and he probably won't trust me without evidence for now. I'll worry about that later.'

A twig snaps behind her, Rebecca looks over her shoulder and scans for any movement. 'It could have been an animal,' she tells herself, but she knows that's a slim chance. It is dark and she can barely see into the woods.

Another twig snaps and then a crunch can be heard. Not taking any chances, Rebecca reaches over to Lucy and covers her mouth, placing her right index finger to her lips as she does so. Lucy wakes up, blinks and looks at Rebecca curiously. Leaning down, Rebecca hisses, "I don't think we're alone," and moves over to Ernest.

Rebecca gives him a gentle shake. He mumbles and she covers his mouth for him to suddenly be alert, but not move. "I don't think we're alone," she whispers to him and two more cracks can be heard from in the woods.

Lucy and Ernest sit up and look in the direction while Rebecca pulls out her gun slowly and then her small flashlight, shining it between the trees. They hear a chuckle. "Damn... you're good," comes a voice; she can just see his head beyond a bush.

"What do you want?" Rebecca demands and he chuckles again.

"It's not what I want, but what my boss wants," he says, Rebecca slips the safety off.

"Who is your boss?" Rebecca asks, seeing how he is going to dodge questions. More footsteps can be heard coming towards them, so she shines the light around and catches sight of maybe three more.

"Jason Rasgo, heard of him?" the man asks. Rebecca glances at Lucy to see her nod as she stands up and Rebecca returns her attention to the speaker. Ernest slowly starts standing up as well.

"He wants us dead?" Rebecca asks and there is no reply. There is some time where no one says a thing, and Rebecca, Lucy and Ernest watch the tree line, feeling anxious and scared.

"Are you," comes a different voice from Rebecca's right, "related to Tommy Madsen... 2002?"

Gripping the gun tighter, Rebecca says scathingly, "No, why?" The last thing Rebecca wants is to be having a relation with the man who'd stabbed her. As she said back when she was face to face with him, she didn't know him, they were blood but they were not family.

"What the hell is this about?" Ernest bursts out. The first man starts laughing harder than before.

"You'll have to survive to find out, old man." the voice says and Ernest grabs for his knife just as three men came charging out of the trees at them. One for each of them.

Rebecca fires and hits her guy in the shoulder immediately. He falls down next to the fire. Meanwhile, Lucy has been tackled and the burly man above her pulls his fist back to punch her when Rebecca fires a round into his upper back. Lucy just manages to kick him off and then they hear a cutting sound, Ernest stabbing his guy in the side for the man to fall.

"He was right," the first voice says, "They will be hard to kill... get them!" Five more men come charging out.

"Run!" Rebecca orders and Lucy grabs one of the branches in the fire and strikes one man in the side of the head. He cries out and stumbles into one of his own, giving Lucy a clear path to run into the woods.

Ernest stabs the first one that comes at him, and then elbows the next one in the jaw before getting struck with a tree branch in the side of the head himself. He shakes his head only to get struck again but this time in the knee. He goes down half way to throw the knife forward and catch the attacker in the thigh.

Rebecca gets caught off guard when the guy Lucy struck made one of them side step into her after she dodged a fist and kicked him in the crotch. The side-stepping man knocks her down and punches her in the left cheek, exclaiming, "Ha! I got ya!" As he celebrates, Rebecca brings her head forward hard to slam her forehead into his nose.

He cries out in pain and stumbles back only for her to trip him into landing in the fire. Another man comes running out of the woods, and another runs out of the side seven feet away. "We have to run, now!" Ernest screams, and Rebecca gets up as more come running.

Ernest is in first, and Rebecca watches the men she shot from the start rouse themselves. None are dead, but plenty furious. She grabs Lucy's carry on and the first aid kit and then takes off into the woods.

"After them!" the voice from earlier shouts, and running footsteps come from behind. She can hear the thuds of heavy footfalls, animals moving in the trees above, heavy breathing. Someone stumbles behind her as she jumps over branches and dodges trees as best she can with limited light from the moon above.

'If we survive this night, I hope there is useful stuff in Lucy's bag for survival,' Rebecca thinks, her heart pounding as she begins to run up a hill. Breathing heavily as she gets to the top she sees the branch Lucy grabbed sitting in a tree in the distance.

Taking off for it and running past her friend, she tries to get her attention. "Lucy," she whispers as loud as she can. "Lucy!" she continues and then slips, not realizing she was at the edge of a short hill and falls down. She balls herself up and rolls when she hits the soft ground.

"Where are they?" comes a voice in the distance above.

"How many of you idiots are using your keychain flashlight?" shouts a booming voice, closer to where she is. Rebecca quickly reaches down and feels for her flashlight, attached to her belt. 'Must have shoved it there without thinking when we got attacked,' she thinks, getting to her feet. Once steady, she begins to run again.

"Rebecca?" whispers a hushed voice. She stops, recognizing it as Lucy.

"It's me, where are you?" Rebecca asks and moves toward the sound of Lucy's voice.

"Under the edge you fell off of," Lucy answers and Rebecca shines her flashlight on the ground, moving it up to see Lucy and Ernest huddled behind a bunch of tree roots and over hanging grass and weeds.

Turning the flashlight off, Rebecca hurries under with them. "I have the first aid kit and your carry-on bag," Rebecca whispers. They can hear shouts in the distance coming from different directions. Curses, mutterings, name calling.

"How many did you see?" Ernest asks and Rebecca closes her eyes for a moment before looking outside of their little hiding spot.

"Hard to say... I didn't look back... but maybe six, could be more," Rebecca answers as she leans back. "Who is Jason Rasgo?"

Lucy sighs. "He's a murderer, but a smart one at that. Breaking into family houses, he would have a team watching the streets so they could warn him by walkie-talkie if a police car was coming. The team would stall the cops, but if he had to, he would pin the murders on them and he never gave out his real name. Even if his team gave him up, he would disguise himself, use an accent, change his name, _anything_ so the cops couldn't catch him. He liked to kill in a variety of ways, stab, shoot, strangle, poison, he did two fires once. The hard part about him was he moved from city to city, and he would kill a family once a week or once every two weeks to keep the police off his trail. He's very good."

Ernest's mind is reeling, and he keeps connecting them to Rebecca because of her being the cop and being addressed by one of the men. "Is he someone you caught?" he asks Rebecca and she sighs.

"Nope... he is one of the 63's we told you we are trying to catch," Rebecca explains, and he groans. Trying to make him believe, she says,"Okay, what was the last hard news you remember hearing about?"

"Uhhh those bank robberies and those trucks... Brinks?" Ernest wonders out loud.

"Garrett Stillman, known for being a robber whose first job is known as being small in comparison to the big one he aims for on the ladder going up. He was smart, very smart and planned everything out perfectly," Lucy says as Ernest shakes his head. "Inmate 2109."

"Do you have any idea how crazy this sounds?" Ernest demanded in a hush tone as they heard two thuds for the men to fall off the edge a few feet away.

"Ahhh geez! We're never going to find them!" complains another new voice.

"Trust me... I know," Rebecca whispers and the three fell silent. Listening and watching.

To Be Continued...

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please tell me your thoughts on what you liked, disliked, etc.

By: SLITH


	3. Chapter 3

Hi there, sorry it took me a while to get this posted. I was in such shock when I heard the show was cancelled and immediately jumped at making a fb fanpage and a petition, details are in the footnote.

Thank you to my Beta Obelia medusa and my friend Rommie.

* * *

Hauser is sitting at the table with the monitors changing constantly, rubbing his temples with his index and middle fingers, he and Soto had been through a lot of headaches and all he wanted to do was action. They had to call in a few employees to question, and they confirmed that Owen Sampson was lurking around, when they advanced to question him he took off. But he would show up again, he was doing something to the planes.

He requested that they look at the plane he and Soto were going to take, it took them a couple of hours and they found that the gas tank had half gas, half water. A few of the other planes had been tampered with as well so if they did find a problem with their plane before taking off, that there would be no other they could take.

Now security was taking extra precautions, going over all of the footage, trying to find out where else he may have gone and gotten into without them noticing. 'Just get me a plane or a helicopter and I'll look myself,' he thought just as Soto came walking in.

"Get any sleep?" Doc asked and Hauser didn't look up when he walked up behind him, "me neither..." he always feels awkward around the stern, stone faced boss Hauser.

"No tracker... no radio... no way of knowing where it is they crashed," Hauser muttered, "and waiting for the report on things missing or not missing from the employees... I want answers!"

Doc could remember when Lucy was shot and Rebecca began demanding answers as to if the 63's were aware that they were being tracked. Hauser had said _'what does it matter?'_ and she went head to head with him. Always something he would admire of Rebecca, her ability to push and stand up for herself. He knows why she does it too, she is a tiny woman who is constantly fighting to prove what she can do, and she has been doing it from the start.

'I know they're not dead... question is, where could they be? There is too much to search to just go out there and aimlessly look. Though I know we'd be going over maps, but it is still a lot of ground to cover and not knowing where to look specifically will just further frustrate Hauser.'

Hauser lifts his head and looks at the screen before him, staring at it, but picturing Lucy. 'I never should have let you get on that plane! I know that if you and Rebecca survived the crash, she will protect you... I have learned and witnessed her in action and I know she is fully capable. However that won't stop the memory of when she couldn't stop you from being shot. I should have sent you off for protection, I should have put my foot down and stopped you from continuing with the hunt. And now this happens... Rebecca Madsen, please, don't let anything happen to her.'

A sudden ringing brought Hauser back from his deep thoughts, without thinking he goes into his jacket pocket and pulls out his phone to read it is the manager of the air port.

* * *

No one slept a wink the rest of the night, Rebecca and Ernest have no idea how many men are out there searching for the three of them. It could be as few as seven or as many as 20. There is one thing they know for sure, help isn't coming. The hunters are now the hunted.

Ernest is looking at the map, "we have to be around here," he pointed on the map to a vast amount of land, still no roads, no civilization and no way to call for help. "We need to go North East and then just North to reach Redwood Lodge, it is our best chance."

"Agreed," Rebecca said and she looked out around the opening, it is 7 a.m., everyone can see now. However, no one is around, she places her flashlight on the ground and looks at the shadow to read which direction North West is and smiled. 'Thank you Ray for teaching me this trick.'

Putting the flashlight away they all creep out, and start off for the thick bushes going into the woods.

Lucy can't help but constantly feel a vibe from Ernest, during the night she caught him looking at Rebecca and didn't like the way he kept looking at her. 'He doesn't trust her that's for sure, these survival runs will do that to strangers and friends. How much can you trust someone you just met? Yet he hasn't been looking at me like that, he probably feels iffy around her because she is a cop... I just hope that something don't come out for him to suddenly feel threatened by us. The last thing we need is to become divided with those men out there wanting to kill us... Emerson... please find us. I know that you and Soto are working hard at trying to find out what happened to us-'

Her train of thought interrupted by someone coughing in the distance, their group has just reached a bunch of large rocks on the side of a hill, and it sounds like someone could be recovering from choking on something. Rebecca is in the lead, crouched low, she looks poised for action. Ernest has his right hand on a rock, and his left hand is just touching his knife on his hip.

"I told you not to eat them," came a gruff voice, from in the distance, above up on the top of the hill. They cannot see the owner or the person who was coughing.

"Thought they were the ones on that nature show," came a younger sounding voice, though sounding strained from what he'd tried to eat.

Rebecca looks over her right shoulder, using her right hand she makes her hand flat, palm facing the ground and moves her hand around. 'Stay low and go around the hill... sounds easy enough. But I know it won't be,' Lucy thought as they moved as quietly as they could along the rocks up to the edge of the rocks and back into the tall weedy grass.

"The nature show on what _not _to eat... geez," the gruffy voice commented.

Glancing up, Lucy cannot see anyone, 'they must be just beyond the tree line, why don't they think about listening instead of talking?' she shakes her head and steps around a small rock, and works to step where Rebecca and Ernest have been.

After a few minutes pass, they hear nothing more and see a wide tall field of grass, or the woods. Rebecca turns to face Ernest and Lucy, "I say we take the field, I know it is risky, but the grass will give us cover, there isn't enough cover in the trees."

Ernest bites the side of his lower lip, looking at the surroundings, 'checking her judgement,' Lucy thought and looks at Rebecca. "Take the field," I agree and then after a couple of seconds, Ernest nods his own agreement. He then looks at Lucy, "move ahead of me, you and Rebecca are small, you both won't be making such a big path through the grass when you go through."

'In front of him or behind him, it makes no difference... maybe he wants to add space between him and Rebecca,' Lucy wondered, she nods and moves in front of him. Rebecca also having a puzzled look, Lucy gives a light shrug and Rebecca rolls her eyes before continuing on.

Crouched down low, Lucy looks over her shoulder to see Ernest moving around on his stomach, he is bigger than Rebecca and herself, but he isn't a giant. 'The bigger you are, the more vulnerable you feel,' she thought and returned her attention to moving in behind Rebecca.

Minutes slowly creep past, crickets, ants, flies, lady bugs moving around, crawling on their legs, arms, jumping across their vision as they move through the tall grass. Stomachs grumbling as they haven't had anything to eat since dinner, their half chocolate bars and being awake for almost the whole night, running for their lives didn't help.

It felt like an hour of going through the field, once through Rebecca looked up to see a steep hill before them, without much cover being provided. She turns around and Lucy reads the flicker of worry in Rebecca's eyes before she hid it to be focused on the task at hand. "We have to get up this hill... it'll take a few minutes to get up and we're going to be completely exposed."

Movement is suddenly heard and seen in the distance to their left, a group of four men are walking away from them, back towards where they came from. Two of them talking, the other two looking around, the three flatten themselves to the ground.

Lucy and Rebecca feel their hearts racing under their ribs, get away to safety, wherever it may be, the idea of getting to someplace safe and home overtakes the fear of getting caught from creeping in. Ernest however, is wondering what kind of a mess he's gotten into, his own heart racing, wondering if they do encounter a group of the men hunting for them, if he can bargain with them. 'It's obvious that they're after Rebecca and Lucy... I'm just the pilot... and innocent bystander... I know it is slim that they'll let me go. But if there is a chance I can get out of this, I'll take it,' he thinks as the group of four go into the bush over forty feet away.

Rebecca closes her eyes briefly and looks at Lucy and Ernest, "I'll go up first... if I run into anyone, I'll take off North. If the coast is clear, I'll toss a rock down. Don't want to wave a branch or anything," she smiled.

'Even in this stressful situation, she manages to poke in a little humour,' Lucy thought with a smile and nodded. Just as Rebecca turned to ready herself for the climb, Lucy touched her shoulder and Rebecca turned to look at her.

"Good luck," Lucy says, Rebecca smiled at her and gives a small nod before returning her attention to the task in front of her.

Looking over the hill, spotting the odd small tree, rock, chunk of grass, she calculates where to step and where to grab to try and get herself up the hill quickly. Taking a deep breath she kicks off, hands grabbing at the dirt with loose grass.

Getting a foot hold on a tree stem, she pushes grabbing a chunk of grass and stepping on the ground, pushing and pulling. Clenching her jaw as she grabs at roots and at a small shrimp of a tree. Once she pulled it snapped and she quickly dug the toes of her boots into the ground, licking her lips as she pushes up to grab at a handful of weeds and pulls herself up the last bit. Rolling onto her back, she takes a few breaths, not realizing she had been holding it as she climbed the steep hill, looking around quickly and listening.

No talking, no snapping, just a breeze coming through. Waiting a few more moments to be sure that someone isn't waiting for her to just start moving, she moves onto her hands and knees to find a couple of decent sized stones.

When Lucy saw Rebecca lose ground for a moment on her climb, she spun around looking for a head, a body, bodies, listening for a shout of _'hey! There's one!'_ but it never came. Breathing a small sigh of relief when she watched Rebecca climb he last of it and out of view.

Ernest then tapped her right arm, Lucy turned to look at him, "how long have you known her?" he whispers. A curiosity in his eyes, questions unanswered written all over his face.

'He's ready to turn on Rebecca,' Lucy picked up, she cleared her throat. "She has worked with my boss for months, and she helped save my life once. I trust her with my life," Lucy answered and she didn't know if he would believe her. The questions waiting to jump out were waiting for the right moment, but would they be questions for her or Rebecca, Lucy didn't know.

A small thud was heard and a tumble, Lucy turned to face the hill to watch a rock come tumbling down towards her. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, opening her eyes she starts her climb.

* * *

Now with a dry erase board up, Hauser has set up a timeline, from Sampson's visits, to when Doc's comic shop was broken into and departure. Noting the sabotage done to the plane he and Doc would have taken. "We can assume that Sampson did the same with their gas, that they crashed an hour or so away. But we must also assume that they would want to keep us separated, give them more gas to get further, have us crash sooner and be possibly hours away from each other."

Doc sighed, "nothing was missing, so he could have given more gas to the girls or he could have taken the extra gas and dumped it somewhere." 'So few answers... we need more answers, and all we're getting is the same questions coming back.'

Hauser turns around to face Doc and starts walking to leave, "Soto, we are going to the air port, I can't wait around any longer. I want to start searching," he starts up the stairs, Doc following close behind. "We're going over Cazaduro and Sonoma."

* * *

It took 10 minutes for all three of them to get to the top and stay low as they made their way through the brush and trees. Lucy had considered telling Rebecca about what Ernest spoke to her about, but decided against it. A gut feeling that Rebecca was already getting the weird vibes from him.

Watching their surroundings, listening for any voices, incredibly hungry, tired, thirsty. Ernest keeps his eye on Rebecca every now and then, watching her, looking for any signs that he should see with alarm bells. Breathing heavily, his legs are yelling as he isn't used to moving around so much, his shirt feels like it is soaked through.

He stops and leans against a tree, Lucy notices she no longer hears him moving behind her and looks over her shoulder to see he looks exhausted.

"Rebecca," Lucy whispers and Rebecca spins around thinking that they spotted someone. Her eyes fall onto Ernest and they both move over to his side.

"I cannot keep going right now, I need to rest," Ernest whispered, "too hungry and thirsty."

Biting her lip, Rebecca looks around their surroundings, "we do need food... but we should save the last of our chocolate bars."

"I haven't seen any berry bushes, or heard a stream... let's find some shelter and take a five minute break," Lucy advised, but Ernest shook his head.

"I can't go any further... my legs are shaking and hurt... I am not used to this kind of a trek. You two go on, I'll catch up," Ernest said and both girls shook their heads.

"No, we need to stick together-" Rebecca started, but Ernest jumped in.

"Why do we need to stick together? They're after you aren't they?"

Seeing his view point, Rebecca crouches down onto her left knee, looking him in the eye. "Ernest, you know that they cannot afford to let you live," she held up her right hand to tell him not to speak when he opened his mouth. "The reason why, they were sent to kill everyone who survived the plane crash. Even if you talk to them, they will see you as being someone expendable, they can't have any witnesses, no one to say what happened after the crash," Rebecca explained and Ernest heaved a sigh.

"Why are they after you?" Ernest asked and Rebecca and Lucy couldn't help noticing he keeps saying _'you' _and not _'you two'_.

"We told you why, and I know the story sounds farfetched, but it is the truth," Rebecca is looking him straight in the eye, she can see he wants to look away. "We are being hunted by a 63' from Alcatraz who has hired a bunch of men to kill us because we are working on hunting them down and putting them back behind bars," Rebecca sees a glare and then he looks away. Like he is tired of the same absurd story being told to him and he wants her out of his face.

"I know you don't trust me, Ernest. And right now I don't care," his eyes come back to her, "my priority is getting the three of us out of here alive. Months ago, Lucy was shot in the heart on my watch, _my watch_," she repeated. Lucy is now looking at Rebecca, "I felt responsible for not being able to stop it, because I was the one with the badge and the one with the gun. And still she got shot by a sniper... and I will be damned if I let anything like that happen on my watch again, I am the one with the badge and the one with the gun. However out here the only thing that is going to count for me, is my gun."

Rebecca takes a moment, she had never spoken to Lucy about the incident when she was shot. For it to come out like this bugged her, but at the same time she needed to make a point and had to get Ernest off of her back in some way so she can fully focus on the task at hand. Hoping that if they do get caught, that he won't turn on them.

"Now," Rebecca swallows, "five minutes may or may not have passed. But every second we waste here out in the open, in the trees, we risk getting caught and killed... we are going to get back on the move and get to Redwood Lodge as quickly and carefully as we can. Got it?"

Ernest pursed his lips, looking at Lucy and then at Rebecca, taking a deep breath, "fine."

The bark above his head suddenly burst, "shit!" Rebecca cursed, "run!"

* * *

Looking out a door window to the strip where his plane will be getting ready to take off from, Hauser's phone goes off and he reaches in to pull it out and read the caller ID. His boss.

"Hauser," Hauser said, he didn't want to talk to him right now, but he knew that a process report was needed.

"Hello, how is everything?" his boss asked, calm but his tone business like.

"Soto and I are going to be on a plane in a short while to see if we can spot anything," Hauser answered.

"I'm sorry for what you must be going through... what of Sampson?" Hauser closed his eyes and Doc walked over to him looking upset and uncomfortable.

"Since he sabotaged the plane and we have witnesses who saw him, nothing. He has done nothing since, no other 63' has popped onto our radar so our focus is on the girls," Hauser said, he noticed Soto biting his bottom lip, 'what does he know?' Turning his attention back to the phone, "hang on a sec."

Putting his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone, Hauser looks at Doc, "what?"

Taking a breath, "all flights have been cancelled, a big storm is on the heels of San Francisco and until it clears no planes are taking off," Doc said, another setback and all he wants to do is get out there with Hauser. He watches Hauser's features darken, his knuckles turning white as he grips the phone tighter in anger.

Hauser looks out the window and into the direction where the take off would be to see black clouds rolling in and then a flash of lightning. 'Not another setback... possibly an hour or hours away from getting up in the air to look for them damn it! I should have acted sooner and gone in the air sooner... but I needed to wait on reports,' he lets out a breath slowly. Closing his eyes to calm his anger that is threatening to boil over.

Lifting the phone to his ear, "a storm has stalled our flight... I'll call you back," he waited for the _'Okay'_ on the other end before hanging up. He takes a deep breath through his nose and lets it out slowly through his mouth, clenching his fists, jaw tight. All he wants to do now is throw his phone at the nearest wall, kick a nearby garbage can and send it into something else.

Doc has no idea how to handle a really pissed Hauser, he watched his face turn red in seconds after seeing the storm clouds. And the last thing he wants is for Hauser to snap at him, so he stays quiet and watches Hauser fight to control his emotions.

After a couple of moments pass, Hauser looks at Doc, his face a little red but he looks more in control, "let's head back, pick up some food and re-asses what we have." Hauser has no appetite, not when he knows Lucy and Madsen most likely haven't eaten, but at the same time he knows he needs to eat to keep himself on the go, so when they do find them. They'll be able to help and not be impaired from not eating properly.

* * *

Legs pumping to go faster, heart racing, footsteps and shouts in the distance behind. When the shooter missed, and they started running, Lucy's heart skipped a beat when she heard _'They're over here!'_

Stepping over a large rock, moving around a tree, jumping over a small fallen tree, ducking under a few low branches, Lucy watches and is following Rebecca closely. She ran hear Ernest's heavy breathing and heavy footfalls as he works to keep up.

And then Rebecca drops from her sight, she slows up just enough to see that the ground drops into a very steep hill and Rebecca is half rolling, half sliding as she is grabbing at trees to try and destabilize herself. Lucy starts down the hill, grabbing the trees and starting to quickly step down, and then her foot slips and she begins sliding down, falling onto her elbows and sliding down the hill on her heels and elbows.

Ernest, being so exhausted already is unable to prepare and loses his balance and begins tumbling down the hill.

Landing on her back, Rebecca rolls over onto her hands and knees, 'damn my head hurts... got to keep moving' she reminds herself as Lucy comes up behind her and then she looks up at their immediate surroundings. This part of the woods is more dense, and then while hearing Ernest fall the last couple of feet behind her to land hard, a man comes out from the woods holding a gun aimed at them.

Rebecca whips her own gun out from her hip and their focus is on one another. Lucy then watches as two more men come out from the trees on their left and right, each holding a knife.

Ernest groans and gets up slowly once he sees their situation, "why the fuck does your boss want us dead?" he asks, his last conversation with Rebecca not having sat well with him still and now wishes to let his anger out on them finally.

"When someone finds out they are being looked into and searched for, they begin to feel threatened, what do they do next? Defend. Wouldn't you agree?" the man holding the gun said cooly.

"If he is being searched for and looked into... there's a reason. If you feel threatened, then you have something to hide and you defend," Rebecca said and the man grinned at her.

"Very nice," he commented and looked at his two partners, "kill them."

Both men charged, and Rebecca decided to take a chance, going down on her right knee and turning she kicks out her left foot and nails the man coming for Lucy in the join between leg and foot. He cries out and stumbles for Rebecca to get up and grab his knife wrist, hold it out and away, she then back hands him with the butt of her hand gun in the right temple.

Ernest meanwhile just barely dodged a jab with the knife to grab the man's knife hand on the inside, with his left arm, yank the man forward to elbow him in the nose, blood flowing immediately down the attackers face.

Then quickly grabbing the back of his head and thrusting his head down while he's dazed, she brings her right knee up to connect it with this forehead. The knife released, she takes and he falls down for her to spin around to see the gun man just watching, she then glances to see Ernest getting the upper hand on his attacker.

The man let go of the knife and took a step back, Ernest holding both knives at the ready, the man charges and tackles for Ernest to catch him in the abdomen, the man falling for Ernest to turn and let him drop to the ground clutching his side.

Wasting no time, holding the spare knife, Ernest flips it so the blade part is in his hand and he looks at the gun man, the gun man sees this and quickly changes from aiming at Rebecca to aim at Ernest. Rebecca sees Ernest about to throw, and the gun man now aiming at him to shoot as he has become the new threat, she shoots, the man shoots and Ernest throws.

Ernest stumbles back before falling onto his back, the shooter flinched when shot in the chest to the right but fell onto his back when he got the knife in his chest to the left.

Running to his side, Rebecca looks at where the entry wound is on Ernest, "shit... can you get up?" she asks as she and Lucy are ready to lift him. Shouts from above can be heard.

"I don't know... but I can't keep going like this, I'm going to slow you two down!" Ernest said as they lifted him to his feet and then Rebecca took over to walk him to the tree line. "Leave me here."

"There is no telling what they'll do Ernest, I'm not leaving you behind," Rebecca said and then he leaned away from her to lean against the tree so she no longer has a good grip on him. "Ernest! They're going to be on us at any moment, come on. We have to keep moving!"

Reaching into his pocket, he takes out his lighter, the map and hands over his own knife, Rebecca looks at them and then at him to shake her head. 'She really doesn't want to leave me behind... she is trying to save my life... I had her pegged wrong,' he looks at Lucy, takes her hand right hand and puts the lighter and handle of the knife into her hand.

"Go, get out of here. I misjudged you Rebecca, I'm sorry, but now you and Lucy have to get out of here. Go!" Ernest urges, seeing the look of not wanting to go written all over her face.

'I don't want to leave him behind when there is a chance... he looks spent... and Lucy and I have a chance,' Rebecca stalls just a moment to hand him the knife she had gained from her own fight. Lucy then grabs her arm and starts pulling her away. Lucy hands her the knife, not feeling comfortable with it and they start running.

"GO!" Ernest yells as the ground has small bursts of explosions from bullets, then he hears grunts and yells from where they had come from. "I'll buy you two some time," he says under his breath and looks up at the men falling and sliding down the hill.

"Go after the girls!" a man shouted from the top of the hill, the first ones to the bottom charged and once they came to the tree line, Ernest lurched from his tree and tackles them to the ground, one hitting his head off a tree to get knocked out instantly.

Running through the dense woods, the trees providing lots of cover as they weave between them, shots go off behind them but no bullets hit the trees near them.

* * *

The man who had shouted the order for the men to go after the girls stood before Ernest, pointing his gun at the older man, four men are with him and the rest are hunting for the girls. He lowers the gun and crouches before Ernest, his eyes are dark, 'the way the others are standing and looking at him... he must be the big cheese.'

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked, his voice deep but sharp, Ernest didn't want to hear his maniacal laugh.

"You're the boss," Ernest said, he'd forgotten the man's name that was mentioned last night.

He smiles, "yes, I am Jason Rasgo," he glances to his one man who is still knocked out on the forest floor and he looks back at Ernest. "You bought the girls a couple of extra seconds to get away... did they tell you want is going on?"

'Why is he keeping me alive... he wants the girls... he probably knows they have a destination in mind and wants to get that out of me,' Ernest thinks and mauls over if he should tell Jason here the story they told him.

"They told me they are hunting 63's from Alcatraz, the ones that were supposed to be transported off the island, but disappeared and are reappearing in our present year," Ernest summed it up, moving himself to sit up against a tree.

Jason Rasgo chuckled and then let out a hearty laugh before looking at Ernest, "and you believed them?"

Ernest shook his head, "of course not," and then Jason's demeanor went serious.

"Why not? I am 2109," Jason said and Ernest recognized the number as the one Lucy had given. Jason's look went from serious to creepy with a slowly forming creepy grin.

'Oh shit... what have I gotten myself into?' Ernest wondered.

"I'm keeping you alive."

* * *

The sun is going down, Rebecca and Lucy have been on the run off and on since leaving Ernest. A bunch of rocks and boulders are clustered together at the foot of a decent sized hill, part way up is smaller rocks and at the top is a cave. 'I hope no animals are living in there... it seems our best bet right now for a place to stay the night,' Lucy thought as she examined each rock she was about to step on.

Some are wobbly, others are stable, Lucy looked up to watch Rebecca almost lose her balance and hop onto a bigger rock and finally reach the smaller rocks. Looking back down, Lucy steps on another that is fine and goes for a bigger one, it turns forward at a weird angle and her ankle gives out as she falls to her hands and knees.

Wincing she moves herself to sit on her butt, Rebecca turned around, having heard the spill and hurries over, careful with the rocks she steps on. "Are you okay?" Rebecca asked as Lucy pulled up her pant leg to touch her ankle, hissing at the pain.

"I think I twisted my ankle," Lucy said and Rebecca bit her lip as she looked around their surroundings.

"Here, I'll move you onto the smaller rocks," Rebecca places each of her hands under Lucy's under arms and looks behind her at the rocks at her feet, crouched low she slides her onto the even secure rocks. "Okay, if you can stand up," Rebecca turns around and crouches with her arms open, "climb onto my back."

Lucy took a deep breath and moved herself back onto her hands and knees, both of them listening for any of the men chasing them the whole time. But so far not a sound. Balancing on her right foot, Lucy stands up and climbs onto Rebecca's back, feeling her Rebecca's hands grip under her thighs while she put her hands onto her shoulders.

"Arms around neck," Rebecca instructed and Lucy carefully moved her arms out front, doing her best as Rebecca slowly stands up and then shifts Lucy to being up a bit higher on her back to not choke her.

Rebecca shakes her head to get her hair out of her vision and looks up at the cave above, and starts to climb, taking less than a minute to reach it, "can you reach down for my left pocket? My flashlight should be in there."

Lucy moves her right hand onto Rebecca's right shoulder and reaches down with her left hand, tongue sticking out as she fishes and finds the small flashlight and pulls it up. Bringing both hands out front she turns it on, and shines it inside so Rebecca can navigate inside, no sounds coming from the inside.

Stepping in, the cave moves to the left, and narrows a bit and then opens up again. It's very cool in the cave, there are some claw marks on the ground, but they look faded. And finally Rebecca stops at the end of the cave, not very deep, but no one can just peek around the corner to see them either. Rebecca crouches down with her back to the back of the cave wall and Lucy carefully climbs off of her back to sit on her butt on the cold rock floor.

"If they find this cave, they'll come looking inside," Lucy said as she shone the flashlight around their little room.

"Let me see how much of the light they'll see," Rebecca got up as she reached into her pocket for her cell phone to turn it on. Knowing they had no cell service told her to save the battery, 'what was that thing Doc sent me a while ago by accident?' she wondered as she waited for it to come on.

Stepping outside of the cave, listening and looking for any signs of movement, 'no one is here yet, good,' she thought and turned around to look inside of the cave. "Okay, shine it at the opening," she instructed in a low voice.

"I am," came Lucy's voice and to Rebecca's surprise, she cannot see any signs of the flashlight, 'I guess the cave curves around enough that they won't see a small fire then,' she thought and looked at her phone as she went back in.

"I didn't see any of the light," Rebecca said as she came around the corner and began going through her saved files on her phone.

"What are you looking for?" Lucy asked, her stomach then grumbled loudly for them both to feel the effects of not eating. Exhausted, sore and incredibly hungry.

"Doc was going through some of his notification sounds and accidentally sent me the wrong one, it is from a game. I couldn't be bothered to delete it at the time, if I'm right on what it is then I am happy I didn't," Rebecca said and found her downloads. Skyrim Bear it was titled, she pressed play and increased the volume to max for a grumbling, upset bear sounds to come out of the phone. Smiling at Lucy, "if they come near, we'll just play that and hopefully they'll turn tail and run."

"If we make it through this, be sure to thank Doc for sending it," Lucy smiled and Rebecca pulled out her chocolate bar and then got a shiver of night coming on.

"I'll be back, I'm going to see if I can find any food and wood and maybe some wood shavings again to start up a fire," Rebecca said and handed her phone to Lucy. "If you hear anyone coming, just hit play."

Lucy took the phone and sighed as she removed her carry-on bag with the first aid kit in it off and to the side. "Be careful."

* * *

"Yes?" came the straight forward, serious tone of Ray on the other end, Doc knew this conversation wouldn't go well. At the same time, Ray had a right to know the woman he pretty much raised was most likely lost and being hunted for by killers. Hauser is at the computers, it looks like he is staring off into space with his phone on the desk in front of him. For all Doc knew, he had fallen asleep sitting there.

"Hi Mr. Archer, it's Doc Soto," he cringed as he realized Ray probably already knew and he was just going to irritate the man more by babbling. "I felt I should tell you about our current situation, sir," he rolled his eyes, 'seriously?'

"Is Rebecca alright?" Ray asked, his voice even, not cut and dry this time.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose with his middle and thumb finger tips, "we don't know where she is," he said and he could feel Ray was about to jump in asking _'what do you mean you don't know where she is?'_ "She was on a plane with Lucy and their plane never landed. After going over footage and questioning employees, we know that a 63', Owen Sampson tampered with their plane, but we have no idea of where they are."

"When did this happen?" Ray asked, worry in his voice but also staying focused, this part Doc was afraid to tell him as he knew he should have called sooner. Doc would look at their white board, the time lines, what information they had gathered, and glanced at his half eaten sub before him. He wasn't all that hungry, especially when he knew the girls and their pilot would be starving. Hauser's voice in his head 'we need our strength so when we find them, we'll be able to help them instead of being exhausted,' but it didn't help.

"They took off yesterday morning, my comic shop had been broken into and a 63' found my plane ticket so he knew when and which plane," Doc answered and a scientist walked in from outside. Glancing over, the scientist is soaked, his jacket is dripping as he comes down the stairs to look up at Doc and offer an uncomfortable smile.

"Yesterday? Wait... if a 63' set them up to crash... then some of the 63's in Oregon knew you were coming up to hunt them down? And now the girls are on their own, what if the 63's who are working together are trying to hunt them down?" Ray asked and Doc closed his eyes.

"That's what we're afraid of," Doc admitted and heard Ray slam his fist onto his bar counter he figured.

"Why wasn't I told about this sooner? Rebecca and Lucy have been on the run for over a day most likely and I find out about this now?" Ray demanded, Doc opened his eyes to look at the white board again, the girls pictures up on there.

"Between the break in, interviewing and waiting for some news about some way of finding the girls with a tracker or something... my mind was on the girls. Hauser and I tried to get a plane out so we could search, but the storm stopped all flights from going out till it clears... I'm sorry," Doc said, feeling guilty for telling Ray now and not being able to help the girls.

There was a long pause on the phone, and then Ray finally spoke, "let me know when you find them, alright?"

"You got it, I'll call you right away," Doc answered, with that Ray hung up. Doc didn't expect any pleasantries at the end of the conversation, and now he had to call Nikki.

Dialing Nikki's cell phone it rung two times before getting answered, "hey, I thought you and Rebecca were out of town for a couple of weeks."

"We've run into a brick wall... not literally," he corrected himself looking up at the ceiling as if willing it to spell out what to say to not sound weird. "I'm still in San Francisco," Doc said and looked at the time, "can I meet with you?" he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to Ray face to face, but Nikki was different and he wanted to see someone who wouldn't glare at him or something.

* * *

Some voices and movement can be heard in the distance, looking in the direction, Rebecca can see flashlights moving around between the trees, but nothing more than a bit of a glow. Holding onto a lot of stuff as she gets to the foot of the cave, "Lucy, it's me," Rebecca says in a low voice, figuring Lucy must be scrambling to get the phone on the go.

Then she heard the muffled groaning of the bear from her phone and he walked in, "sorry, I turned the flashlight off, wanted to conserve power," Lucy said in a low voice and turned it back on so Rebecca wouldn't walk into a wall or hit her head.

"Thanks," Rebecca said as her head had tapped the ceiling, "I brought some raspberries, a walking stick, stuffed my pocket with wood shavings and brought some wood for a little fire to get us warm."

Lucy blinked at the bundle in Rebecca's arms as she named them, "they look great," she commented and watched Rebecca set it all down to the side. Pulling the lighter out of her pocket that Ernest had given her, she frowned, but decided she didn't want to talk about it just yet.

On her knees, Rebecca pulled out the shaved bits of wood from her pocket and twigs, putting it into a small groove next to the wall of the cave and broke up the branches before using the lighter on the twigs.

After a couple of minutes the fire caught, Rebecca had grabbed a couple of branch clusters with raspberries on them and put them down in a pile between them. Picking the berries and having them in a nice pile in their hands they ate every single one, fingers red so they rubbed their fingers to their teeth to enjoy every ounce.

Looking at their chocolate bars, there is still a couple left, "let's eat the rest of our half chocolate bars and call it a night for food," Lucy advised and Rebecca nodded in her agreement.

"I won't argue with you," Rebecca smiled and they happily ate that.

Though their stomachs were still hungry, they were at least satisfied with something in them.

Footsteps could be heard outside of the cave as they sat together, the crunch of rocks being pushed into one another. Rebecca grabbed her phone, hit a button to open it, then the unlock button and hit play. Her heart suddenly hammering in her chest as she hopes the grumbling bear sounds from inside the cave will scare off any of the men outside.

"Shit! There's a fucking bear in that cave!" the footsteps hurried off and nothing more was heard.

Sighing with relief, Rebecca smiles, "definitely thanking Doc for that one," she said quietly and Lucy rested her head on her shoulder.

Looking at the small flames next to them, getting some heat from it, Lucy's mind goes back to what Rebecca had said to Ernest, she looks up at her and sees Rebecca is staring at the small amount of light dancing on the cave wall. 'I was caught up in reading what was on the window... she worked until help arrived to try and save me... and she beat herself up for not being able to do more. And since we got into this mess, she's protected me by shooting down a man, taking down someone told to kill me and she's carried me up to a cave on her back.'

"Thank you, Rebecca," Lucy said and Rebecca blinked and turned her attention to Lucy next to her, giving a quizzical look. "You saw I was in danger and could do nothing to stop me from being shot... and to know you beat yourself up... I don't blame you," looking Rebecca in the eye. "You helped save my life, and on that shore you shot a man off of me, then you took down a man who was told to kill me, and then you carried me up here on your back. I don't know what else to say other than, thank you."

Rebecca processed what Lucy had said and smiled, putting her arm around her shoulders, "anytime Lucy." Their first time on their own, together, no screens to be watching, radio talk to listen to, no car to jump into and look at the scene of the crime. Just them waiting for this nightmare to be over.

"They're looking for us, and very worried about our situation," Rebecca said, keeping her voice low, Lucy would look down at the small fire, get a chill down her spine.

"Yes... I bet they are," Lucy said quietly, "Emerson has been through so much... one day we're dating and the next... it's late 2011 and he's changed and so much older and I'm... I'm lost in the mix of everything that has changed."

Rebecca looks down at her, "over three decades pass for you overnight, not at all an easy transition," she commented and Lucy shook her head.

"Nope... all I have is Hauser from back then and the inmates from 63' that need to be caught," Lucy said and Rebecca frowns.

"What about you and Hauser?" Rebecca asks, wondering if there is still something between the two. They had spoken about it once, but now that they had time, and if Lucy was willing, they could talk.

Lucy would give a small sigh and take a few seconds to respond, "deep down, I know there is the same Emerson Hauser I began falling for. He's changed over the years, wanting to find me, and now wanting to protect me... there is no time really for personal talk during the hunt. I'd like to think there will be something for us after we have them all, I still love him," Lucy smiles at the thought.

"We're going to get home, Ray isn't going to be happy," Rebecca sighed and smiled, "but we're going to get home, I promise." Lucy nodded, and would yawn, her mind still alert, but mental and physical exhaustion weighing on her mind. "I'll take first watch and I'll wake you up at two, okay?"

Lucy smiles, "you've got yourself a deal, good night."

Rebecca smiled a little, sure she was exhausted, but she knew one of them had to take first watch, glancing at her watch to read 9p.m. 'You're getting five hours of uninterrupted sleep this time Lucy, tomorrow is going to be another story on its own,' she thought and listened as Lucy's breathing changed already, resting off the tiring day they just had for a new one ahead.

To Be Continued...

* * *

Please review your thoughts, ideas, scenarios popping into your head, what you dislike, etc.

I have a petition on the go to try and get the show going again, you can find a link to it on my facebook page that I started up called: Alcatraz -Bring the Show Back-

I will be making a Save Alcatraz music video, I am currently discussing ideas for how to spread the word of our petitions to try and get TV stations to realize we really want it to stay. I have been calling Fox & CTV, been trying to find a number to contact the Wanrer Bros studio in Vancouver, but there is none and the only way to contact abc directly is through an email on their form you have to fill out. A friend of mine figured abc would be a good bet as they hosted LOST and it lasted several seasons with them. I've been trying to get a hold of the fanpage on fb for Alcatraz, telling them to post links to all of the petitions so every fan who is begging and complaining will go to the links, but so far nothing.

Chapter 4 is waiting to be looked over and edited in the meantime.

Take care and keep fighting for the show!

SLITH


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Alcatraz, it's characters or anything. This was written purely for fans to enjoy.

I hope you all enjoy this new chapter as I know it has been a while. Enjoy and review at the end, my new Beta StormyMonday sent it over tonight ^_^

* * *

Doc had rested his head on the desk that night, after talking to Nikki at a little café. He was mentally and physically exhausted from the whole ordeal of trying to find the girls, and fell asleep after a few minutes, his mind drifting to the time when Tommy had stabbed Rebecca.

Her being wheeled into the emergency room… standing in the emergency area of the hospital was no picnic.

_Doc was in the ambulance with Rebecca on the way to the hospital when she stopped responding and went unconscious. He kept staring at her face expecting her to open her eyes, but she never did. The medics worked on Rebecca non-stop during the ride to the hospital, and continued to do so as the gurney was wheeled into the emergency room._

_Doc looked at Ray, who was staring at the room where they're working on Rebecca, the woman Ray saw more as a daughter than a niece. 'If you had any contact with Tommy prior to this... I'm sure he's completely cut off now. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd put a bullet into him yourself for doing this to Rebecca,' Doc thought and returned his attention back to the windows. 'Oh no... the paddles?'_

_Watching as the paddles were placed onto Rebecca's chest, Ray felt a chill go down his spine. His hands clenched, and he closed his eyes. 'Come on, Rebecca. You can pull through this...you're strong, stubborn, bubbly...come on!' He paused. 'Tommy...if I ever...**ever** lay my eyes on you again, I will kill you for stabbing her – for putting her through this...she doesn't deserve this.'_

_The doctor has stopped, they've all stopped in there, 'oh no... please no,' Ray can feel a tear well up in his right eye. They stopped and turned the defibrillator off, the doctor instructs the nurse with something and then walks to the double doors to lock eyes with Ray._

_Ray felt tears well up in his eyes as he watched the doctor and nurses stop what they were doing, turning off the defibrillator. The doctor gave instructions to one of the nurses, who then walked toward the double doors. _

_"Rebecca Madsen?" the doctor asks, Ray stands up and Doc walks over._

_'Oh no...please no...' "Yes," Ray answered, biting his tongue, and feeling his emotions rise to the surface._

_"I'm so sorry, we did everything we could, Rebecca is gone," the doctor said and the tear in Ray's right eye rolled down his cheek._

_"Can I see her?" Ray asked, his chest tight, heart in his throat, he wet his lips._

_Hearing the nurses step out behind him, the doctor nodded, "Yes, take your time."_

_Ray walked into the room feeling numb, the tears welling up in both eyes. He sniffled as he made his way around the bed. Seeing Rebecca's lifeless body lying on the gurney with a white sheet covering hr up to the shoulders, pale, mouth closed, eyes closed, no raise and fall of her chest._

_He took her right hand as the tears spilled down his cheeks, he started shaking, trying to control his emotions. "Rebecca... I should have fought harder for you to not work with Hauser... I should have told you from the start Tommy was an inmate and not a guard. I should have contacted Hauser and told him where he could find Tommy... but no, I told him to stay away from you and... and... he killed you."_

_Holding the back of her hand to his lips, Ray's face was red as he reaches up with his left hand to smooth her hair back, "You are so young... you are the only family I have left." He sniffled again and took a seat in the nearest chair._

_Standing between the rows of chairs, Doc watched the distraught Ray as tears ran down the man's cheeks. Suddenly, Doc remembers that Rebecca and Nikki were close, so he sat in a nearby chair and pulls out his cell. _

_Biting his bottom lip as his thumb scrolled through his contacts until it landed on Nikki's name, Doc glanced up at the window where Rebecca was lying with Ray grieving. Doc looked back at the phone and cleared his throat as he hit a key to dial her number. Holding the phone to his ear he waited, 'she'll want to come to the hospital... but Nikki shouldn't see Rebecca like this. She won't want to remember seeing her lying there..' he closed his eyes, feeling his own emotions starting to raise to the surface._

_"Hello?" Nikki answered. _

_Doc swallowed and then cleared his throat. "Hi Nikki," his voice is thick as his nose is beginning to fill._

_"Diego? What's wrong?" Nikki asked, hearing him sniffle on the other end._

_"It's... it's Rebecca," Doc said closing his eyes tightly, his body beginning to shake. _

_There was a pause on the other end as she waited, and listened quietly. _

_"She was stabbed in the abdomen... the doctors just announced she's gone."_

_Nikki could feel her heart skip a beat, staring at the blank white wall in front of her as what Doc said sank in, 'Rebecca is dead... no, that can't be!' she shook her head. _

_"Diego, what hospital are you at? I'm coming over now," Nikki said and grabbed her car keys._

_Doc's eyes opened, blurry and wet. "No..." he looked at the end table to grab a Kleenex and blow his nose so he wouldn't keep sniffling. "No, you are not seeing Rebecca like this."_

_Nikki stopped when she reached her jacket hanging on the coat rack. "Diego, please tell me what hospital you're at."_

_"No Nikki, you don't want your last memory of Rebecca... the way she is. Please, stay there," Doc said. _

_Nikki turned to put her back against the wall next to the coat rack. "Okay... come and see me soon," she said._

_"Alright, I will," Doc said and they both hung up. He looked up at the room where Ray and Rebecca were. He stood, watching as Ray placed a kiss onto Rebecca's forehead before turning and walking away. His face was beet red, having wiped away any tears from his cheeks; his expression turning from sorrow to that of revenge._

_Ray stormed through the double doors and Doc hurried over to him, "What are you doing?" Doc asked and Ray glances at him._

_"I'm getting him," Ray replied in a cold tone, his eyes showing he wanted revenge._

_Doc watched him storm out, and then looked into the room. 'Should I see her like that?' he wondered, his feet making the decision. Walking through the double doors and over to Rebecca's bedside, the tears spilled over his cheeks as he took a seat to her left. Surprisingly, she didn't look overly pale. What bothered Doc most was how still Rebecca was. _

_Doc jumped as his cell began to vibrate. He stood, and pulled the phone from his pocket, the caller ID indicating the call was from Hauser. 'You leave the hospital while they're fighting to keep Rebecca alive to go and see what is behind that door of yours and you call now?' he muttered. Doc considered ignoring it, but answered anyway. _

_"Hello Soto, how is Madsen doing?" Hauser asked. When there was no response, he asked again. "Soto?"_

_Doc bit his lower lip, staring at her lifeless body just as Ray had done earlier. "Rebecca is dead... doctor announced it just a bit ago," Doc answered, fighting to keep his voice clear._

_"I'm sorry Soto... I'm really sorry," Hauser finally said after pausing._

_Doc took in a deep breath as he stared at Rebecca's face. "Could I please have-"_

_"Of course, of course... call me, okay?" Hauser said. He had a vague idea that Doc was asking for time. Time to grieve, time with Rebecca, time to heal. He understood the heartache when Lucy was suddenly gone as he had strong feelings for her._

_"Thanks," Doc hung up and put his phone back into his pocket. Placing his hands onto the edge f the bed, he bowed his head attempting to gather himself. Lifting his head he stood up straight again looking at Rebecca. He swallowed and placed his right hand on her left shoulder but removed it suddenly feeling awkward. He leaned in a bit, looking at her closed eyes._

_"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner Rebecca, you are... were my partner and I should have been there with you. This never would have happened... Tommy..." Doc stopped, feeling that if he said anything more he wouldn't be able to control the emotions that were ready to overwhelm him._

_He stared at Rebecca, 'I need you... we all need you,' he lifted his left hand and gingerly touches her left hand. Looking at her face he pursed his lips for her lips to part, eyes to open and for her to suddenly gasp. He jumped, she cringed and he turned to look out the window. "Nurse! Doctor! Somebody!" he yelled. Within a few seconds two nurses ran over to see Rebecca alive._

_"Doctor! Rebecca Madsen is alive!" the nurse shouted and Doc is ushered out as the nurses and doctor filed into the room again to continue working on her._

_Doc's hand covered his mouth in shock, 'She's alive... Rebecca's alive!' he suddenly remembered Ray, who was bent on revenge, and speed dialed his cell phone. 'Pick up, pick up, pick up!' he started pacing in the room and gets voice mail. "Damn it Ray, answer your phone!" Doc mutters under his breath._

_Finally Ray answered, "I don't have time for this Diego," Ray said in a strict business tone._

_"Rebecca is alive!" Doc said quickly in the hopes of catching him before hitting the 'end call' button. Doc could hear the sound of tires screeching, and horns honking. _

_"What?!" Ray asked, not believing he heard Doc say what he just said._

_"Rebecca is alive, I was seeing her and she gasped, opened her eyes and the doctors and nurses are working on her now!" Doc said excitedly tears still coming down his cheeks, but no longer grieving ones. "Turn around."_

_"Alright," Ray said and hung up. _

_Doc to quickly speed dial Nikki again._

_"Hello?" Nikki's voice sounded distant, uninterested._

_"Nikki, it's Diego Soto, Rebecca is alive," Doc said and at first got a long pause._

_"What are you talking about? You just told me the doctor declared her gone," Nikki said. _

_Doc nodded to himself. "Yes, he did. I was just in there and she started breathing again and the doctor and nurses are back in there working on her," he replied quickly. Again he got a pause._

_"Tell me what hospital, I'm coming now," Nikki demanded. She wanted to see this for herself and to rid herself of the images that her mind was creating of her friend being dead. 'Diego has no reason for me to not come now,' she thought._

Doc was shaken awake by Hauser's hand on his shoulder. "It's 9a.m., I got us a helicopter ride to start searching," Hauser said.

Doc blinked and stretched when he stood up.

"It's been inspected already, once we get there it will take off," Hauser continued, a fresh cup of coffee in hand.

* * *

It was mid day, and the girls had stopped for the third time that day when Lucy spotted a raspberry bush. She and Rebecca ate as much as they could until their stomachs told them no more. They were exhausted from running, or in Lucy's case, hobbling.

"How are you doing?" Rebecca asked looking at her friend. Rebecca's hair was sticking to the sides of her face, her shirt sticking to her lower back and stomach. Somehow the temperature seemed hotter that day.

"I'm managing... damn it's hot," Lucy commented, swatting at a mosquito buzzing around her head.

"I know... let's take a look at the map quickly," Rebecca said and Lucy unfolded it. "Okay... if I'm right, we are in this general area. I say we should start going North."

Looking up at their surroundings, Rebecca pointed in the direction of North. About ten feet away, the girls could hear footsteps in the nearby clearing, just short of the trees. Lucy folded the map quietly, and put it back into her carry-on bag.

A crackling walkie-talkie was be heard, "I think I see them... just in behind a large rock."

Raising their eyebrows, the girls glance around as there was no large rock is near them.

"Damn it... false alarm," the voice said and the footsteps started to move closer. Rebecca moved her right hand to her gun grip and held it, her shoulder pressed to a large tree. Lucy was behind her, but tucked into the berry bush more.

Rebecca heard a big sigh as she peeked around the tree to see a man just a few feet in front of them, his back turned. He lifted his walkie-talkie, "Gav, check in. I haven't seen you for ten minutes since you went to do your business with nature."

"Geez... give me a moment could ya? That meat we had last night wasn't exactly fully cooked and isn't agreeing with me," responded his partner.

Rebecca looks at Lucy, pulling her gun out of the holster. Lucy looks at her with alarm in her eyes, "no," she whispers as quietly as possible. "Wait."

Placing her index finger to her lips, Rebecca returned her attention to the man in front of her and began to creep out from her hiding spot, her gun on him and his back still to her.

"If I recall, you were too hungry to let it finish cooking," the man said before her let out a chuckle.

Standing up straight, Rebecca holds the gun to the back of the man's head.

"Radio silence all of you! Your constant talking is going to give you away to the girls!" Jason Rasgo ordered.

Rebecca then cocked her gun, and the man in front of her froze. "Drop your gun, now," Rebecca instructed and he dropped it right away. "Drop the walkie-talkie," she said and he dropped it, too. "Good... now raise your hands, put them behind your head and then slowly turn around and drop to your knees."

The man swallowed, his hands going up and touch the back of his head. Turning around slowly his eyes meet hers. He looked to be about her age, the scruff of a beard was starting to come in, German with a nose that has been broken. He knelt down before her.

"Alright, how many more of you are there?" Rebecca demanded.

The man glanced to his right in recollection. "There are about 13 left, six have been killed," he answered, his eyes locked onto Rebecca's.

"What are your instructions?" Rebecca asked, sure they had been told, but she wanted to hear it right from this soldier anyway.

He stared at her for a second, closed his eyes and looked at her again. "Rasgo hired us all, whichever group kills you get's paid a large sum of money. We know that there is a cop in the group... you... and some sort of Doctor, and the pilot."

"Wait... this is a game to all of you?" she asked, narrowing her eyebrows.

He looked down at the ground, as if trying to come up with a better way of explaining and then he looked up again. "If prisoners in a prison broke out and, took over, most would just go and kill the guards, but if you're smart you grab the warden or someone important. You bring them to the guy who is going to take charge – the big cheese, you get rewarded by gaining his trust, and there is a strong possibility of working with him."

"The last thing you want is to be running around and when the police come to take over, get shot, Rasgo is the lead inmate, you're the Warden, the Doctor is your guest and the pilot. He has a choice to make as he isn't with either, he has a 50/50 chance. If he gets caught, he will be pressured into giving the whereabouts of the two that are being hunted by the inmates. If he thinks his chances are better at telling the leader the hiding place, he'll fess up, might get killed right after as he'll then be known to switch sides, or he could be kept alive in case the Warden and Doctor put up a fight and the leader needs... well you get the point."

"You are worth more alive right now than dead, some who have done time will know that. Others are just going to try and kill you and not think about getting on Rasgo's side," he explained.

The low humming of a helicopter was be heard, and Rebecca's eyes grew wide. She glanced up as Lucy stepped out from behind her. "We're going to have to risk it," she said.

The man's eyes reflected his alarm at the sound. Rebecca stepped away and ran toward the tree line, but the man lunged for her, and tackled her to the forest floor. Rebecca's gun knocked out of her reach, she turned as he began to climb on top of her, but she caught him in the jaw with her elbow.

The hum of the helicopter blades came closer as Lucy worked as quickly as possible with her crutch to reach the treeline as well.

The man grabbed Rebecca by the shoulder and shoved her onto her stomach.

"Lucy, look out!" Rebecca called as he got up from being on top of her and charged for Lucy, the humming of the helicopter now right overhead. Lucy looked over her shoulder just as the man tackled her into a tree. Rebecca got up and charged. 'Tree line or Lucy? Tree line or Lucy?' Rebecca thought frantically.

He pinned Lucy to the tree and roughly turned her around, a look of power and greed in his eyes. Lucy's heart hammered in her chest as she stared up at the man who she has no power over. 'Emerson... please see us through the branches or something! Rebecca go while this man is distracted!' Lucy closed her eyes and gasped, bracing as the man pulled his fist back, ready for the punch.

Rebecca grabbed the man by his right wrist just in time, and when he turned to look at her, her fist connected with his left eye causing him to let go of Lucy. Rebecca kicked him in the stomach, and he stumbled back only to see Lucy making a break for it once again.

Rebecca realized she couldn't hear the humming directly over head anymore. 'Please... turn around and see her!' she thought. Just then, the man made a dash for his gun and the walkie-talkie.

Rebecca took off after him, picking up her own gun in hand. The man snatched up the walkie-talkie, "I've got them here!" he shouted into it and Rebecca tackled him, causing him to smack his head on a tree trunk. The walkie-talkie was knocked into a pile of bushes. His body lying there beneath her, she reached for his neck and felt a pulse.

Looking over her shoulder she sees Lucy standing there, shaking her head, Rebecca sighs, hearing shouts in the distance, branches snapping, heavy footfalls, 'no time to look for the walkie-talkie... another evening in the woods.'

Rebecca looked over her shoulder to find Lucy standing there shaking her head. The blonde gasped as she heard heavy footfalls, snapping branches, and shouts in the distance. 'No time to look for the walkie-talkie...another evening in the woods,' she thought. She turned around and hurried over to Lucy. "Let's go!"

* * *

Jason Rasgo grinned at Ernest, noting how uncomfortable, tired, and hungry his captive was. A fire heated a pot that held a couple of cans of chicken noodle soup that Ragso was eating. Ragso listened to one of his guys give an update, gleefully spooning some of the hot soup into his mouth as Ernest's stomach grumbled loudly.

"Don't worry Ernest, I have been receiving radio calls whenever my men have found you and the girls. They are going to fight to the end, I know cop girl is going to keep pushing. And she is going to protect her friend who has no experience in hand to hand combat or shooting a gun, we're probably going to hear a few more reports on them... give them at max two more days," Jason said spooning another mouthful and smiling.

Ernest is staring at him, the smell of the soup was almost overwhelming, but he kept his arms folded over his chest tightly.

Ragso gave a light chuckle. "Just tell me where they are headed, you'll get to have the last of this pot of delicious chicken noodle soup, and I'll let you live," Jason offered. He watched Ernest close his eyes, as if fighting the urge to just go and grab the soup. "Or..."

Ernest's eyes shot open, and traveled slowly to meet Jason's. Ragso's four men are standing around him, also staring. They would never contradict him, but would watch and learn instead, and prepare for action.

"I give you say... half a cup of soup, and you let your stomach decide," Jason sat up and grabbed a mug. He took the ladle from the pot, scooping up some noodles, and poured some soup into the mug. Then, he grabbed a plastic spoon from a little plastic bag, dropping it into the mug and then offered the soup to Ernest.

Ernest stared at him, worry in his eyes as he looked from the soup to Jason.

"This is all your going to get, if you tell me where the girls are, we go and grab them now. Not in two days and you get to go home, have a juicy, seven ounce cheese burger or a tender thick steak from your own barbeque... the whole nightmare is over. A distant memory," Jason smiled, and it looked harmless enough. But Ernest knew from running and killing some of his hunters that this guy could change in a second.

'If he is who the girls say he is... and he has even admitted to it... shit... I am in way over my head... who is to say he won't kill me after I tell him what he wants to hear? Or use me to get the girls out,' Ernest closed his eyes, his mind flashing back to when Rebecca didn't want to leave him behind. 'There is a possibility she didn't want to leave me behind because she didn't trust me to give out information... but... something in the way she looked at me... if this Rasgo guy throws me out on the front line and tells them to give up or I die... I hope this doesn't come down to that... I have an inkling as to what the girls would do.'

Opening his eyes, Ernest reaches up and takes the mug, 'I need to get something into me... why say no right now? Later I will be... hopefully much, much later. Hold on girls.' He scooped up a spoonful of the soup and blew on it. Putting it into his mouth he closed his eyes, enjoying the taste, that it is hot, and the feel of it going into his empty stomach.

* * *

It was 6:30p.m. and the sun was showing signs of going down. Hauser and Doc had just landed from their second trip going up and were looking over the map.

Hauser sighed. "Tomorrow we go up this way," he said, drawing a circle around another portion. "No plane, no bodies, no nothing."

'They're making sure that no search and rescue finds them easily... taking cover in the trees when they hear the helicopter and probably fighting the girls to keep them hidden from our view,' Doc thought. 'If that's true... they're going through more trying to get us to see them when we come over head... sorry Rebecca... sorry Lucy.'

Turning around, Hauser saw Doc staring at the map where they had just been searching. "What is it?" he asked, wishing suddenly he didn't have to ask Doc what is on his mind at a time like that.

"I was just thinking, the 63's will no doubt hide when they hear us coming, and if the girls are engaged with one of them. The 63 is going to do everything possible to stop them from coming out in the open, where they're trying to avoid being seen by them. Until we find them, they're going through hell," Doc answered, and Hauser suddenly looked grim.

A scientist came walking in as Hauser glanced at the monitors. "Any news?" he asked.

The scientist paused. "No sir, sorry," he answered. Hauser had left it up to him and the other scientists to pick up the phone if anything came up and the airport couldn't get a hold of him while in the air.

"I need something... I need Sampson... but until he does something there is no way of finding him," Hauser said, knowing that Doc had gone over Sampson's box three times. Doc had commented that he wished Rebecca was there, as she would possibly notice something he missed.

Doc missed Rebecca, his partner, his rock in these cases of chasing the worst people. She could pick up on something he'd missed due to her way of looking at things with her background as a cop, asking the right questions, looking from another angle, delving deeper, broadening the search. A small smile crept onto his face at remembering when Rebecca came into his shop after they were officially named partners.

_Doc turned around to tell Chet "That's my partner from the task force." Chet's answer was surprised. "No way!" he exclaimed. Rebecca sat her stuff down on the counter – lunch, and my book. She smiled and replied, "Way," raising her eyebrows playfully._

His smile faded. _'When Lucy was shot, standing in the hallway of the hospital... telling Rebecca that I didn't think I could do it – handle the work... and then her telling me to go home and get some rest because she needed me.'_

"She needed me," Doc's smile gone, his face suddenly became serious. Hauser sat at the computer monitors again. Doc pulled out his phone and looked at his photo of her in his contacts. "You need me again... and I will _not_ let you down."

* * *

Coming across a stream, Rebecca looked over their surroundings. They were out in the open, but at the same time they needed to drink. She listened and looked, but no footsteps, or voices could be heard, and there was no movement either. Looking over her shoulder, she whispered to Lucy. "Come on," The sun was slowly setting and they needed to find a new place to hide for the night.

Lucy came out from behind a tree, carefully making her way down the steep step to get to the deep, quickly flowing stream. Placing the end of her crutch into a high part of the stream, she quickly moved herself across it. Turning around, she placed her crutch down, and braced on her good leg. Cupping their hands, she and Rebecca sipped at the cold water.

Splashing water onto their faces, drinking refreshing cold water, they both sigh in content as their drinking slows. Lucy looks up at Rebecca, she is on her knees across from her, a question playing in her mind ever since they got away from the man Rebecca had interrogated. "Can I ask you something?" Lucy asked and Rebecca looked up to see something is bugging her.

Rebecca looked up to see that something was bothering Lucy. "Sure," Rebecca answered, and splashed a bit more water on her face, rubbing away any dirt to clean herself up a bit, and hopefully feel a little more human.

"Why didn't you go after the helicopter when he was attacking me and not you?" Lucy asked.

Rebecca wet her lips, and looked Lucy in the eye. "If I can help it, I will stop you from getting in harm's way. We are less than a day away from Redwood Lodge, once we call for help, we'll be all set."

Lucy gave a small nod, and Rebecca sighed and then froze, hearing a different sound. Holding up her right hand to say 'stop, I hear something.'

Lucy looked to the left and right, but saw nothing. She looked back at Rebecca, who was looking over her shoulder. Finally, she turned around as a large man ran out and grabbed Rebecca from around the waist and leapt, both going over the stream and landing hard on the ground.

"Haha! Got you!" he exclaimed. He was a large bald man with a tattoo of a snake going from his left jaw corner and down his neck. Rebecca punched him in the chin, but he only smirked, causing Rebecca to suddenly feel undermined.

Lucy scrambled to get to her feet, looking for a weapon, a rock to hit him with as he lifted Rebecca by the top of her shirt and jacket and threw her to the ground. "You killed my buddy, now you're gonna pay," he growled as she rolled to her hands and knees and stood up straight.

Rebecca's mind was in overdrive trying to figure out how to handle the man. 'He reminds me of Pinky... was that his name? Only he has a tattoo and more of a caveman look than him,' Rebecca thought as he came charging. This time she ducked and rolled to the side to avoid him, and spinning around for him to already be coming after her again. This time she ducked and rolled into his feet making him stumble and land on his hands and knees.

Turning around, Rebecca hurried over and kicked him in the ribs. He grunted, and without warning, swiftly got back up and caught Rebecca with his shoulder to her chest knocking her onto her back. She groaned, the large man weighed a ton and the rocks her back slammed into made the impact that much worse.

Lucy threw a large rock at his head, and caught him just behind the left ear. He shook his head and looked at Lucy. "Don't worry, you're next," he snarled, grabbing Rebecca by the throat, but not squeezing too much. She gasped, and gripped his wrist as he lifted her off the ground and walked into the creek while keeping her at an awkward angle so she wouldn't be able to stand up and try anything else.

Rebecca started kicking him, kicking the rocks in all directions and then hears the splash of water. From his feet and her own, the water is very cold and her eyes go wide. 'Oh no... you're going to drown me?' she thought, and started kicking more.

Lucy threw another stone and hit him in the back of the head. He squinted and glanced up at her with a grin on his face as he pushed Rebecca into the water. "Wait your turn little missy," he said. Rebecca barely had a chance to gasp at one last breath.

Lucy watched in horror as the water rushed over Rebecca's body, her legs continue to kick but only splashed as she worked to try and get free. Grabbing more rocks, she threw them at him, but her aim was off in her panic to get Rebecca to not drown.

The cold water hit Rebecca hard and fast, within seconds her clothes soaked through with the water rushing through them and wrapping around her flesh. She reached up grabbing his arms, trying to pull herself out of the freezing water that was starting to numb her entire body. 'Stay calm... you need to catch him off guard... keep struggling and move right leg,' Rebecca thought as she moved her right leg between his legs, her leg at the waters' surface.

Lucy lifted up her crutch, balancing on her good leg. 'Hands are numb... it's starting to hurt... kick!' Rebecca's brain screams. Lucy gave a small cry as she brought the top part of her crutch down as hard as she could muster on the back of his head. It broke on impact, and at the same time Rebecca knees him in the crotch.

His eyes crossed and rolled up into his head. Lucy bounced back with her crutch holding herself up and then stepped up twice swinging the crutch into his side.

'This hurts! I can't breathe! It hurts!' Rebecca's mind was screaming as his body fell into the creek to her left. She sat up immediately coughing and shaking.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked, holding her free hand out to help Rebecca stand, and using the stick as a walking stick now technically. The sun was setting in the distance.

Reaching up, Rebecca's hand shook as she touched Lucy's fingers and them loses balance. She crawled out of the stream, shaking, soaked to the bone and freezing, her clothes clinging to her body. "I-I-I... I'm f-f-f-frozzzen," Rebecca answered as she forced herself to stand up, arms wrapped around herself tightly, and finding it hard to breath.

"Come on, we have to get to shelter and get a fire going. You won't last if we stay out here," Lucy urged and Rebecca nodded, her numb legs moving as quickly as she could force them. "Let's follow the stream for now."

Lucy, hobbling along as quickly as she could, watched Rebecca closely. 'With night descending, it is only going to get worse for her... we... no I need to get a fire started as soon as we find shelter.'

'If I could just take my jacket off... no-no... too cold... have to keep moving... keep moving and live... keep moving and escape... keep moving,' Rebecca thought as they follow the stream.

Moving along in the near dark, the girls stepped into the treeline again. Moving around some trees, a large, dark wall appeared to their right. It was facing away from the stream. Lucy pulled her lighter out of her pocket, and flicked it on to see ahead of her. There was a very steep hill that also faced away from the stream, and the wall opened up to reveal tree roots hanging from above. The hill continued up beyond Lucy's vision. She moved in for a closer look.

The rock floor was smooth, and had patches of dirt. Whatever had been under the skinny tree roots must have crumbled away a long time ago, possibly during storms or earthquakes. "Come on, we'll be safe under here," Lucy whispered. Rebecca followed her, crouching low as the top wasn't very high. Their makeshift cave wasn't very deep, but it looked out to the woods beyond. 'Probably a nice sunset view,' Lucy thought and returned her attention to their little hiding place.

Rebecca laid down on the smooth rock, shaking uncontrollably, holding herself, teeth chattering. 'I wish I was home... I can't wait for this nightmare to be over.'

Lucy stepped out to the trees they had passed, and grabs some twigs, small branches, then some bigger branches, and then used the knife to get wood shavings. Carrying as much as she could handle under her one arm, and in her hands, she set them all in organized piles, and then lit them.

The sun had set completely by the time the wood caught fire, the only light coming from the glow of the moon.

A serious look crossed Lucy's features as she worked to get the fire a little bit bigger, the flames licking at the small branches. She set another larger branch on top and then moved over to Rebecca. "Take off your jacket, you're not going to get any warmer with that wet clothing clinging to you."

Sitting down, Lucy positioned herself so her sore ankle didn't ache that much, and helped Rebecca sit up. 'Her hands look white... I need to act quick,' Lucy thought as she helped Rebecca take her jacket off. Her skin was cold to the touch. "Alright now your shirt, then your pants."

After a minute, Rebecca finally pulled her shirt off. "Okay, lie down, I'll get your pants off," Lucy instructed and Rebecca laid back down, rubbing her hands up and down on her biceps for a few seconds before gripping her biceps.

Lucy moved down to her belt and unfastens her pants. "Something I never thought I'd be doing," Lucy thought.

Rebecca closed her eyes, "w-w-what?" she asks, 'get warm... I'm safe... I wish this nightmare was over already.'

"Taking your pants off," Lucy answered and Rebecca smiled as she felt Lucy tugging at her pants.

Once they were off, Lucy removed her carry-on bag, takes the first aid kit out and places the bag under Rebecca's head as a pillow. Then she took her crutch and pinned Rebecca's jacket and pants so that they were hanging against the back wall. She grabbed Rebecca's her shirt and set up the sleeves to hang on some of the roots to dry for the night.

"Okay, time for the warm and fuzzy," she comments, and took off her jacket draping it over Rebecca's back. "Now, open your arms for a big hug."

Rebecca opened her arms, shaking as she held them like that and Lucy scooted closer and moving her left arm around Rebecca's waist and her right arm around the other side. Her ankle twinging with pain at the awkward position she now has to work with.

Rebecca gave a shudder as Lucy's body finally met hers, wrapping her arms around Lucy while Lucy fussed with the jacket to get it covering Rebecca's shoulders. Lucy pulled her hair up and around to face Rebecca while she rested her left cheek on Rebecca's left cheek. Lucy could feel Rebecca's body is still shaking from the cold, hoping the fire going on above and her own body heat help.

"G-g-gosh I c-c-can't-t-t b.. believvve how c-cold-d-d I amm-m-m," Rebecca said as she felt Lucy's body heat, feeling so distant like it would take hours before she could feel properly again.

"I know... shhh I've got you, try to relax," Lucy soothed, moving her good leg around Rebecca's shaking legs. 'Once you're all set... or set enough, we'll grab another chocolate bar each as dinner... right now just get warmed up.' She smiled a little "It's time for me to take care of you."

To Be Continued...

* * *

Hello!

Please review this latest piece of work. My new helper StormyMonday and a friend of her's sent me this chapter tonight, so I felt I had to post it asap for you all. I hope you enjoyed it, expect the next chapter next week ^_^

For those of you who are big fans of Sarah Jones, check out 'Kendra (Feat. Sarah Jones)' on youtube, it is an online little series and episode 6 of 8 I believe was posted today. If you haven't seen Vegas, I suggest you give it a try, she has a small role in it, but it is a good show.

Take care!

SLITH


	5. Chapter 5

After three hours passed of Lucy holding Rebecca to help warm her up faster, Rebecca finally stopped shaking and her breathing was now regular. Lucy sat up to put more wood on the fire and Rebecca held Lucy's jacket around her shoulders. She held her hands out to the flames, her skin colour looking healthier.

Lucy went into the bag and pulled out two chocolate bars. "Tomorrow night... we'll be home in our own beds, with heating and warm covers."

"Seems so distant from now..." Rebecca commented. She opened the Oreo chocolate bar and looked up at Lucy with a smile. "Thanks."

"What for?" Lucy raised her eyebrows, confused as to why Rebecca would be thanking her.

"For saving my life," Rebecca answered. Lucy smiled at her warmly.

"Rebecca, you have been saving my life and protecting me since this all started," she said.

Rebecca sat back with her back against the wall. "I am always going to do my best to protect you out here Lucy. That man was drowning me in what felt like ice cold water... and then you shared your body heat to help warm me. I was thinking it over. If you didn't smack him or help me warm up... I don't think I would have made it, so thanks for saving my life," Rebecca said. Knowing she had died before still didn't settle well with her, and coming so close to death again, out in the wild like that, scared her.

Lucy could see that Rebecca was remembering the past. Unable to tell if she was thinking about when she was shot or when she had flat-lined, she reached over and placed her hand onto Rebecca's forearm, giving it a light squeeze.

Rebecca looks at her.

"Anytime."

The next minutes passed in silence as they enjoyed their little dinner of chocolate bars, thinking back on the last couple of days. The running, losing Ernest, Lucy twisting her ankle. Rebecca getting answers and then also getting frozen and near-drowned, and turning to Lucy for help. The whole adventure had been a rollercoaster ride and both were ready to get off at any time.

Lucy could recall when Doc had told Hauser about Rebecca dying. Her mind flooded with images.

_Hauser looked to be in shock, turning to face her. His call with Dr. Soto had been short and sounded uncomfortable. _

_"What is it, Emerson?" Lucy asked. Finally, his eyes meet hers._

_"Rebecca is gone... she didn't make it," he said._

_Lucy gasped. Eyes wide, she covered her mouth with her right hand. "Oh, no..."_

_Taking a deep breath, Hauser rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Ray is going to want revenge."_

_Lucy narrowed her eyes on Hauser. "I'd say so... I can't imagine what he must be going through right now. She was like a daughter to him." She looks down at the floor. "He's lost Van... a boy he raised and watched get married... and now he's lost Rebecca... this is-" _

_Lucy didn't know how to describe it. _

_I barely knew Rebecca... but just yesterday we were talking about Tommy... and talking about Hauser._

_"Soto is going to contact me when he is ready... I'll give him the time he needs," Hauser said, and looked back at the room they had just come out of. He wasn't going to ask about Rebecca; he had figured she was going to pull through without a doubt. Lucy had pressed him, and he was happy she had pushed him into it. He turned back to her._

"_It's your call what we do. It was my idea to come down here and find the big mystery. Do we start doing a search for crimes in the places where the 63's are located? Try and hunt down Tommy, or call it a day and review what we have?"_

_Lucy thought it over. "We hunt down Tommy. There's no telling what he is going to do now. But stabbing and killing his own granddaughter like that? I want to get him first, for Rebecca and for Ray."_

_Going to the computer to start tracking traffic cameras for the blue car, she immediately found the road where it happened and rewinding the footage. Hauser took a seat next to her, cringing when they watched Tommy stab her, thrusting the blade in and out, and back in again. He slowly lowered her to the pavement, took her gun and then ran off. Working quickly, she followed the traffic cameras for his car._

_Hauser's phone rang. He pulled it out._

_"Dr. Diego Soto," he said and hit answer, putting the phone to his ear. "Hauser," he said, and sat back in his chair. Then he blinked. "What?" _

_Lucy looked over her shoulder to see surprise on his face. _

_He looked at her. "This is good news, very good news... okay, keep us updated."_

_Lucy watched as he hung up his phone. "Rebecca is alive," he said, and she turned her chair so she could face him better. _

_"But how? Adrenaline and defibrillator?" Lucy asked. _

_Hauser shook his head as he put his phone away. "She came back on her own while he was seeing her. The doctor and nurses are working on her now. Ray is on his way back, Soto is going to keep us updated on her condition."_

_Lucy turned back to the monitors. "We need to try and find Tommy then," she said. But to her dismay, cameras didn't cover all of the city. 'He knows what roads to take to not get seen by traffic cameras and city surveillance. We're going to get you Tommy, you can be sure of that."_

Looking at Rebecca, Lucy's mind goes over what she knows about her and her performance.

'Rebecca's file was solid... few shots fired in her line of duty. She prefers getting answers first and then shooting... and when she does, it isn't usually a kill shot.' She glanced up at Rebecca, who was checking whether her pants were dry enough yet. She scrunched her nose up. They were still wet.

"Before Hauser came upon you, we'd already looked into your files and knew what kind of a cop you were. We wanted you to join us, but we wanted you to come to us first," Lucy said as Rebecca put some more wood on the fire.

Rebecca was curious as to why Lucy was talking about this out of the blue, but continued to listen first.

"There is a rarity about you, Rebecca- and you have proven it to Hauser over and over. You ask questions first and then shoot... and even when you shoot you don't shoot to kill. I know you had that one fluke kill back in Alcatraz. Have you ever shot and killed someone on purpose?"

The file didn't say specific things, but she was curious out in the wild to know if she had or hadn't- and how Rebecca would handle it.

Rebecca rubbed the back of her head and neck. "There are suspects I have lost... but no, I haven't shot anyone to kill them. I shot the guy yesterday to severely wound him. I know he was going to try and kill us, but I feel that Ernest's knife is what killed him in the end." Closing her eyes, she pursed her lips. "If there comes a time where I have to shoot someone to kill, I will do it. I may not be happy in the end with having to do it, but I will do it to protect or save someone."

Lucy nodded, 'I hope that when the time comes, you'll be able to handle it. I know you're strong, but everyone has their breaking point.' She watched as Rebecca's eyes started to show signs she was ready to fall asleep. "Get some rest, I'll wake you up at…" glancing at her watch, she saw that it was about 10:00. "Say 2 or 3 o'clock, okay?"

Nodding, Rebecca moved to curl up on her side, using the bag as a pillow again and hoping that her clothes would be dry by the morning. Lucy rearranged Rebecca's clothing to be closer to the fire, above it. Once she was done she fingered another large branch and looked at Rebecca. Rebecca's eyes were closed.

* * *

Morning couldn't have been brighter, in their little nook of a makeshift cave. The sun shone above and behind them, allowing Lucy extra time to sleep peacefully. While she did, Rebecca checked her clothes and found them finally dry and slightly warm, which was a welcome feeling to her body. Going over the map, she figured roughly where they were. Looking out over the edge she summed up from the direction of the sun which direction they need.

Putting it away, Rebecca got up and listened carefully for any voices or steps. Watched for any movement. She heard and saw nothing.

Crouched low she looked around at their surroundings. The view was gorgeous. She pulled out her phone and turned it on, hoping the cold water didn't do too much damage to it. Smiling when it came alive, pressing for the camera feature she took a picture of the view and then a quick shot of Lucy sleeping happily. The sun gave a nice glow to the tree tops ahead, their lush leaves looking like their sighing in contentment at the new found warmth, birds flying around the trees, chirping, a slight breeze coming by bringing with it the smell of the woods that the sun has warmed. Turning it off she put it away to look around at the branches around her.

'Time to find a new sturdy crutch,' she thought as she examined branches and the health of the trees. The stream was right in front of her, so she crouched down and had a few mouthfuls of water. Standing back up to go to examining the branches she found a decent one. The tree is huge, but with half dying and the other half thriving.

Moving to the dying part, Rebecca climbed up a bit, wrapping both hands around the base of the branch and pulled. It started creaking and she paused to glance around.

'No one is watching, right?... I hope not.'

Clenching her jaw, she pulled again. A snap could be heard, then another and another, before the branch finally broke off.

Stumbling back, Rebecca went over the branch and took away the extra dead twigs and small branches; then took it a little more in the body to make it a better length for Lucy.

A gunshot goes off.

She spun around and heard some birds take off and cry out as they fled the trees.

Lucy sits up abruptly, the gunshot waking her right out of her dream and her eyes going left and right as she wonders where Rebecca is. _Oh no..._ goes through her mind as she slowly stood up.

'It wasn't that far off... that's unsettling... we have to move then.'

Turning back around, Rebecca hurried back into the hiding place for Lucy. She was about to ask where she had gone off to when she spotted the new crutch.

"That sounded close," Lucy whispered, feeling it unsafe to talk out loud as Rebecca handed her the crutch.

"Yeah... I think we should move out now... you got…" Rebecca glances at her watch, "four or more hours sleeping."

"It'll have to do," Lucy said and rearranged her bag, then stomped out the fire in the hopes that the hunters wouldn't smell it when they get closer.

Looking down the steep hill, Rebecca looked at the trees, the long grass that had been flatted to the hill by rain. "If we slide down this steep hill, we can cut right and go in that direction," she pointed north. "If we keep at a steady pace, hopefully we'll be there by noon... it all depends."

"Okay, sounds good... this is going to be tricky," Lucy said, wondering about how her ankle was going to handle it. It was starting to feel okay, but it still hurt when trying to use it.

"If you'd like, I can try going down first and make a pathway," Rebecca said. She didn't want Lucy going down first and if while going down, she spotted an easier path for Lucy, she'd have her take it instead.

"All right… good luck," Lucy said. Rebecca nodded and started to go over, gripping the ground and sitting on her butt.

Starting to edge forward, holding the long grass, Rebecca suddenly felt the steepness start to take its effect. Within a few seconds she began sliding down the steep hill, clamping her mouth shut in surprise at some near misses with some small trees and bushes. Then she saw a rock coming up.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath. Lucy watched her hit something and go from sitting on her butt to lurching forward and land on her stomach.

"Ow…"

"Rebecca!" Lucy whispered as loud as she could while Rebecca stood up and turned around.

"Just a sec, I'll brace you from the last bit," Rebecca called up in her loudest whisper she could muster. Grabbing the flattened grass as something to anchor herself with, she climbed up, her feet slipping, relying on her knees and her toes to help keep herself up.

"Okay, come on down," Rebecca said in hush tone, watching as Lucy edged forward, holding her crutch out and keeping her bad ankle raised. Then she began sliding, ready to catch her when she reached the rock.

"Oh gosh," Lucy thought when she spotted the rock, and then tossed her crutch ahead just in the nick of time for Rebecca to reach out and grab her. Almost slipping through her fingers, Rebecca held on.

"Okay… now nice and easy," Rebecca said in a hushed tone, helping Lucy scoot herself up and over the large rock to gently land on the forest floor. Rebecca picked up her crutch and handed it back over. "That was fun…" they both look up, hearing cursing coming from the bushes across from the stream. "Time to go."

* * *

Doc glanced over at Hauser, who was having an argument with the same man as when they were stopped from flying due to the weather. He cringed, seeing the fire in Hauser's eyes when he briefly made eye contact and motioned for him to look over the map.

"I know they're alive… it isn't a waste of resources. You know me... that isn't fair," Hauser said pacing around the room near the stairs.

Going to his phone as he walked over to the map, Doc looked at his bank account and then up at the map. He blinked. "No phone service… dead zones."

He had thought of it last night, but forgot when Nikki had called him wanting to know what was going on about the search.

Crossing over to the monitors, Doc started typing into the computer for large dead zones on the way to Oregon. 'They'd want to go for a large span of land… no calls going in or out. It's the 63's hunting for the girls and the pilot, if he survived the plane crash, out there.' He found the biggest areas of dead zone. Doc printed it off and brought it to the bigger map to compare.

"Fine, I'll pay for the flight with my own money. How much is it?" He glanced over to see that Doc looked like he was onto something. "… I'll call you back."

"We were looking in the right areas, I was thinking," Doc gestured to the print out. "This here shows the big spots of dead zone. The 63's will want the girls to crash someplace where, if they do escape their grasp, there will be lots of land to cover. So I have some closer areas for us to look into… I know it's a large area, but it's worth a shot."

"Sounds good, but we have run into a problem," Hauser said. Doc turned to face him. "The people I work for will not fund another search, and the price to rent is more than I've saved up."

"How much?" Doc asked, going to his phone, but Hauser shakes his head while holding his right hand up.

"It's too much, Soto," Hauser said. His eyes showed he wanted to keep searching, but the price. He didn't want to go to Soto for help. He worried that the girls may have run out of luck and he'd just been running in circles. That he had failed them.

"I care about the girls just as much as you do, and I have every right to be able to help. If that means I may have the money to pay for the search, or I can come up with it, I will. Now how much?"

Hauser, uncertainly, opened his mouth to say something, but Doc cut him off.

"No! I don't know what your boss said over the phone, and it's not too late to find them. Lucy and Rebecca are fighting for their lives out there, I know it. I know Rebecca is protecting Lucy and I know they are both alive. Now how much is the rental of a helicopter?"

Hauser stared at Doc for a moment, taking a deep breath. "For what we'd be wanting, over $5,000.00."

Doc went back to his phone. "Then I have some work to do." He turned away from the map and clicked to access the money in his bank account.

* * *

It was noon. The girls had been hurrying along, hiding in the bushes, eating what food they could. They were getting tired and had stopped for their third break.

It was getting hot again. They put their backs to some large trees, with a bunch of leafy bushes around them.

"How much further?" Lucy asked.

Rebecca took the map and examined it. "Not much further... I'd say just a little bit more and we should be there. How are you holding up?" Rebecca handed back the map. She was exhausted, having run off of adrenaline for most of this event.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and leans her head back, "I'l be all right. The sooner we get home, the sooner I can lie back in a nice hot bath."

Both smiled at that thought.

Rebecca added, "Vanilla lavender scented bubbles, pizza... oh and a nice glass of wine... just soaking it all in… okay. Three more minutes, then we're on the go again."

They sat there, listening to the birds and little critters running around, arguing, seeing the bugs flying around, ants climbing up the tree, a ladybug on a leaf. Lucy put her left hand finger tip under the leaf with the lady bug and watched it for a few moments.

"I often don't have time to just stop and look and enjoy the outdoors when hunting for 63's. It's indoors, looking over the computer monitors... to finally be out... though on the run, but to be out and experiencing all of the wilds around... it is kind of nice."

Their heart rates had slowed down and their breathing was now normal. They were starting to sweat, which told both of them that it was going to be a bit more of a struggle to keep going. Rebecca took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was examining their immediate area, listening for any footsteps or talking. Looking for any movement.

"Okay, time to move," she whispered, and both stood up and started to edge out.

Crouched low, moving between the trees, Rebecca glanced over her shoulder every once in a while to makes sure Lucy was still right behind her. The ground was on an increasing incline, becoming a steep hill. Rebecca heard Lucy grunt, and looked over her shoulder.

The incline was making it too difficult for Lucy to climb, and she was falling behind. Turning around, Rebecca moved back down the hill.

"Damn it, this hill has slowed me up," Lucy sighed, shaking her head as Rebecca reached her. "I'm sorry, I can't keep-"

"Hop on," Rebecca cut her off, crouching in front of Lucy, arms open again. "I'm not holding it against you Lucy. I'll do what I can to help us move along at a good pace."

Taking a breath, Lucy moved the crutch so that it was pinned between her backpack and then climbed onto Rebecca's back, careful not to choke her as she put her arms around her neck. She felt Rebecca shift and bounce her up into a secure position. Then she started to climb the hill. She climbed with difficulty at first but then started to charge up the hill.

Listening to Rebecca breathing and knowing that it is getting humid, Lucy felt guilty. 'This is the second time Rebecca has carried me. I can't wait for this nightmare to be over.'

Finally the ground started to even out . "I can handle it from here," Lucy said in a low voice.

Rebecca crouched down, controlling her breathing as she did so, and slowly loosened her grip on Lucy's legs and set her on her feet again.

Going up the hill, Lucy worked hard to keep up, Rebecca stayed crouched low as they moved. Coming up to a large bush where the ground was almost completely level, she gasped and chuckled.

"Finally made it," she said in a low voice.

Lucy caught up next to her and smiled, heaving a sigh of relief. "Redwood Lodge."

A decent sized wooden building, dirt road, lots of woods surrounding it. The road hadn't been travelled for a while. Rebecca felt a trickle of sweat come down the side of her neck, and around to the front to her shirt neckline, hair sticking to the sides of her face, shirt sticking to her lower back and stomach. She looked around for anyone who could be waiting for them.

"Okay... let's move, keep your eyes open," she said, and moved out from the bushes, heading for the front door that angled away from them. Careful to move quietly, Lucy followed eagerly.

Reaching the door, Rebecca looked at the lock. It was old. Going for the plant pots that have no living plant in them, she checked under for an extra key. There is none.

"Okay... I'll try and pick it," she whispered.

Lucy looked around them, keeping an eye out for anyone coming out of the treeline or around the building.

Rebecca pulled out her lock picks and starts to work on it, tongue between her lips as she concentrated on what she was feeling and hearing. "Come on... I can do this…" She was biting her bottom lip as she started to turn both of them and the keyhole turned with them, little by little. She held her breath and heard a click. Holding the picks in place with one hand, she turned the knob and watches as the door cracks open. "We're in."

Lucy turned and smiled, relief flooding through her. They both hurried inside and locked the door behind. Ahead to their left was a desk with a radio, a tall wooden cabinet with glass doors at the far wall that is fit to house guns. A wooden stove/chimney in the corner directly at the right. A closet built into the wall next to the door and two windows at the front. There was no shower inside, telling them that it was an outdoor shower and bathroom.

"Check under the table. Sometimes there's a hidden stash of food in places like this," Rebecca said as she hurried to the radio. Lucy walked over to the table and pushed it aside.

Changing the station to the one Doc has set in Alcatraz, Rebecca made sure the antenna was up, sat down and turned up the volume.

Lucy gasped. Rebecca turned around quickly to see a box with some food and water bottles in it. Lucy tossed a bottle to Rebecca, along with some beef jerky that looks to have been cooked there. Rebecca opened it eagerly and chugged down half the bottle before munching on the jerky.

Grabbing the little hand held device, Rebecca took a deep breath and pressed the button, "Doc, do you read me? Over," she waited a few moments. "Doc, this is Rebecca, do you read me? Over."

* * *

Doc and Hauser had just made arrangements for a helicopter. Hauser looked grim, and Doc was trying to suppress a smile that they were getting out again. Both froze on the stairs going out.

"Doc, this is Rebecca, do you read me? Over?" came Rebecca's voice over the transmitter on the computer desk that Doc set up ages ago.

Both turned around and Doc ran as fast as he could and grabbed the machine. There was no way for him to talk back. He searched around the desk and grabbed for one of his gaming mics.

"Doc, this is Rebecca, please respond- over."

"Got it!" Doc said triumphantly and plugged it in quickly, "Rebecca, this is Doc, we read you loud and clear. Are you and Lucy okay? Over!" he said excitedly.

Hauser stood next to him, feeling a rush of relief at hearing Rebecca's voice after a few days of nothing.

Smiling from cheek to cheek, eating more of the jerky and having a few more gulps of water, Rebecca pressed the button again, "it's great to hear your voice, Doc! Lucy and I are okay, we are at Redwood Lodge, our plane crashed about 45 minutes to an hour into the flight, over."

Lucy hurried over, chugging down a water bottle herself and eating her own beef jerky.

Hauser sat down at the monitors and typed away to get a location. After a few moments he frowned. "We just missed them yesterday," he commented, looking over at Doc seriously. "We can't waste any more time, we need to get to them. Now."

Rebecca looked at the closet. "Lucy, I want you to hide in there, got it? Rasgo most likely knows we are here and is listening in- or he's figured it out due to our direction. Things are going to get hairy."

Lucy nodded and hurried over to the closet, opening the hidden door and stepping inside.

"We have your location, we're coming!" Doc says and sets the radio down. Both men turned around, and Hauser ran off to a locked cupboard in another room, pulling out a duffel bag with some guns in it. He met Doc at the bottom of the stairs.

"Jason Rasgo has teams of men hunting us out here. Please hurry-" Rebecca said.

The sound of glass shattering cut her off and a bullet nicked her right shoulder. She gave a cry of pain and clutched at her shoulder.

Both Hauser and Doc froze, hearing this.

Lucy opened the door and stepped out. She could see that Rebecca was ready to fall off her chair and is clutching at her shoulder.

"Stay in there, Lucy. It's just a flesh wound. Don't come out- no matter what."

Pulling the mic to herself, Rebecca realized she'd been holding the button and that Doc and Hauser must have heard what had just happened.

"Please hurry-"

The next bullet hits the radio.

"Let's move!" Hauser orders. They run out. The helicopter was set to come and grab them at Alcatraz.

* * *

Dropping the mic, Rebecca pulls out her gun and checks the ammo. "It'll have to make do," she mutters and looks at the hidden closet that Lucy is back inside of. "Stay low, they'll most likely aim for body height."

Taking the last chunk of her beef jerky, Rebecca chewed on it, easily manoeuvring under the window that was shot through. Back to the wall, she peeked over the window frame to see what she was currently up against.

'Thirteen are left. I'm sure the man from yesterday is eager to pay me back… lovely,' she thought dryly, watching as two moved around the house in front of the radio. Three more were out the front.

'Three hand guns… one SMG. One shotgun, and someone with a sniper rifle out there. And who knows what else? Some look like your average Joes. Others look like they've got more combat under their belts… shotgun and hangun in front of radio. SMG and two handguns out front. Going to have to stall and wait this out until Hauser and Doc get here.'

Rebecca had a good view from under the window. Through another window, a few feet away, she could make out at a certain angle the other hunters waiting next to the trees.

"No one is attacking yet... I guess both teams are waiting on the other to make a move... or they've been ordered to not move in yet," she muttered, certain that Lucy could hear her. She peeked through the window above herself again.

The window burst, glass shattering over her head. She ducked as pieces of glass rained over her head and back. The other window was also blown out, as was the one on the other side of the closet.

A chuckle was heard outside. "Come on out and play. If you toss your weapons, we won't shoot when you come out," came a smaller voice. Rebecca rolls her eyes. 'The runt in the group.'

"I feel pretty comfy in here," she said, and then smirked. "Got a nice breeze coming through, thanks to you guys. It's really nice to lie on the cushioned bed in here and listen to the birds outside."

"Come on out," another chuckle. He sounded like a madman. "It is such a beautiful day outside, you don't want to go and waste it indoors, do ya?"

She looked over the window ledge and saw a scrawny little guy wearing an open vest, and camouflage pants that looked too big for him. He had a mullet and a visor on, and held the SMG.

'I can't risk giving off one shot in the hopes of getting one of them. I need a sure shot.'

As if on cue, one of the bigger men with the scrawny guy spotted her through the window and opened fire. She ducked.

* * *

"Stop firing on them! I know where they are and I gave explicit orders to cease fire when they got there," Rasgo said, radio at his mouth. Walking through the dense woods with Ernest trailing behind him, he had the man Rebecca interrogated with him. The man who almost drowned her, and four of his own with him still. This made eleven in total.

When Rasgo was told who he was hunting for, he knew he was going to lose men. It didn't matter to him. Expendable assets.

Ernest was stumbling along beside him, exhausted and sunburnt.

"Looks like I was right after all," Rasgo grinned as he walked along. Ernest glared at him. "Thanks to my guy last night, and going over the map to see what direction they're going in. I was right, the only thing in their path was Redwood Lodge... and now they're trapped there."

Ernest couldn't stand looking at Rasgo anymore, so he decided to look ahead. 'They got a call out to their friends... but that is over an hour away. Are they going to be able to last until help arrives?'

They continued along until they finally came out facing the lodge, seeing the men who were waiting anxiously to jump in there and get the kill. Ernest could only wonder when he was going to be used to get the girls out.

Rebecca gasped. Ernest looked awful. "Ernest is alive... they kept him held hostage... and this isn't good for either of us," she muttered. "He can easily be used as bait now."

Rasgo stepped forward, "hello ladies, you've survived a lot the past couple of days. I must say, you have done very well and deserve a pat on the back!" He clapped his hands together high in the air. "Most impressive! Clap boys! Clap for them!"

No other clapping came up, and Rasgo chuckled. "Ladies... you got past these men. That's why they won't clap. They're ashamed, irritated that you got past them and beyond!" Rasgo stopped clapping. "I know your friends are coming, I heard the radio call... but that said, I'm sure that we'll get to you before they arrive. And when they come... why, they'll feel as though they failed you. They couldn't find you fast enough. We took away the plane and made sure they wouldn't know where to start looking."

He looked at the four men who had come with him for most of the journey, and the other two he picked up after. The big oaf thought his partner was dead, and was now walking around to the right side of the lodge where the windows were still intact. Everyone was in place.

"I will count to five. If you do not come out while I count, they will open fire. They will not come in, and they will not shoot if you chose to come out. I hope your walls are thick if you chose to hold out... I want this to end well," Rasgo said, looking over each of the eager men.

"One... two..."

Rebecca looked at the closet door. "Hold on Lucy... stay as low to the ground as you can... Hauser and Doc are coming," she assured her, while she prepared to ball up in the corner.

"... Five!"

Firing ensued. Shotgun blasts could be heard hitting the side. Rebecca watched as some wood splintered and exploded. The logs that made the place may have been old, but they appeared to be keeping most of the bullets out.

"Cease fire," Rasgo instructed, after an entire round.

However, Rebecca heard the scrawny guy laughing.

"Let's get them!" she heard him call. She heard rushing footsteps, and peered over the window ledge in time to see Rasgo to whip out a handgun and shoot him in the back.

He fell to the ground, dead.

"You okay Lucy?" Rebecca whispered, hoping that there wasn't a weak spot in the wall where she was.

"I'm okay, I wasn't hit," Lucy said, her voice muffled by the walls around her.

"I said to cease fire..." Rasgo was saying. "If he couldn't contain himself, he shouldn't have come. His death is on your hands, not mine. If you want to challenge me, you will not win," he warned. He turned around to face Ernest. "Step forward please... into plain view for them to see."

Ernest looked at him warily, wondering if this is the time that the leader wishes to use him as bait to get the ladies out from the lodge. He stepped out and stumbled into view.

Rebecca gasped.

"He's alive... oh shit... Jason Rasgo is going to use Ernest." She bit her lower lip and watched as Rasgo stepped up behind Ernest, holding his gun up and pointing it at the back of his head.

"I will give you to the count of three to step out and save your pilot," he threatened, cocking the gun and staring at the lodge door. "One."

'I can't let him die... this isn't his fault!'

"Two!"

Rebecca took a deep breath, holding her gun up and at Rasgo.

"Three!"

Two gunshots went off, one after the other. The first one hit the window frame near Rebecca and caused her to miss, her own bullet just missing Rasgo's ear. The two shots brought out a succession of more shots fired at the lodge door and at her window, while Rasgo shouted as loud as he could, ordering them to stop firing.

Splinters of wood showered around Rebecca as she ducked and covered her hands over her head.

"That's enough!" Rasgo shouted and pointed his gun at the man who'd shot first. "What did I say not moments ago?" he asked the man, who looked afraid and irritated. "What did I say?"

"Cease fire..." the man said, "but I saw her gun-"

"No ifs, ands, or buts! I said to cease fire! If you see movement to shoot, you shoot at the building. Not at them! If you want to get paid, you do it by my rules, my instructions!" Rasgo shot him in the left shoulder, and the man cried out and clutched at his arm.

Rasgo's gun swept over the man's companions. "Am I not clear? Let this be a lesson to all of you!" He sighed, running his free hand through his hair, and then cracking his neck by cocking his head to the right and then left.

'I am going to get you... it seems you have forced my hand,' Rasgo thought, looking at Ernest. "You come with me. Now." Then he looked at the rest of the men, sizing up one. "You come as well, but only enter and do exactly as I say. Got it?"

The man smiled at Rasgo and nods, Rasgo looked at everyone else. "No one out here shoots, spits, talks or moves without my say so – got it?" he said, and waited until he got nods or mutters of "yes."

Rebecca listened to all of this, gripping her gun, and then trying to remember how many shots she'd already fired since the first night. 'Five shots maybe out of 12... it isn't enough to take all of them out... and what is Rasgo planning this time?'

"Hold tight, Lucy," she whispered as the lodge door was kicked open. Standing up immediately, Rebecca held her gun up ready to shoot at the first person who walked in.

Ernest stepped in with his hands bound behind his back.

"Go!" he yelled, and he was then shoved from behind into Rebecca. He fell to the floor on his right side, facing away from them, his hands bound behind his back.

Rasgo shoved Rebecca's gun down and grinned at her. "Ah... we finally meet." He then slammed his forehead into hers, yanked her gun out of her hands and tossed it across the room.

Rebecca punched him in the chin and then the body. He doubled over. Grabbing him by his jacket, she thrust him down at the table where the broken radio was, slamming his head on the table. Turning around, she started for the door, but when she turned around a fist connected with her left eyebrow, sending her to the floor.

'Oh, this is not good...'

Rasgo stepped away from the desk and looked down at her.

"Where is your friend?" he asked. He glared at Rebecca, touching his head, looking at his fingers for blood. There was none. He dropped his hand. "Well?"

"She didn't make it," Rebecca said bitterly.

He chuckled, "awww come on. I saw the markings in the ground, and according to this guy here," he points with his thumb, "she is using a crutch."

'Shit... how do I cover up that she isn't here with the markings...'

Rebecca started to get up, but the big guy stepped up and kicked her in the stomach. She grunted. Rasgo looked at the man and smirked.

Rebecca took a deep breath. "After we got here, the panic, the stress, anxiety... all of it washed away at the idea of help. That was when I lost her back in the woods."

She glared at them as she started to get up. The big guy delivered another kick to her stomach and this time she rolled over, gasping and groaning. "I took a stick to use for walking... those are the markings you saw outside."

Lucy, looking through the little gaps in the closet door, was horrified by what Rebecca was now going through to protect her. The big man who almost drown her yesterday, now kicking her for interrogation.

'Hold on Rebecca... Emerson and Soto are on their way!'

'I'm glad I grabbed him,' Rasgo thought, crouching down in front of Rebecca. "What kind of torture can I put you through for your friends to find you in?" he grinned, sending a chill up Rebecca's spine.

Rasgo took a step back. His man stepped in to kick again, but this time Rebecca was ready. She grabbed his leg, then spun herself around to drive her knee into the back of his. His leg gave and he cried out in surprise. Rasgo reached down to grab her but she rolled away from him and got to her feet, going for her gun.

Rasgo ran after her. He grabbed her right shoulder and yanked back, ready to punch her face. She winces at the spot where her shoulder was nicked by the bullet. However, she saw the punch coming and ducked and threw an uppercut to his jaw with her left fist.

He loosened his grip on her shoulder and went for another punch. She ducked, getting inside and tackling him to the floor. The big man was just waiting for an opportunity, Lucy and Ernest were watching helplessly .

Rebecca landed a punch on Rasgo first, in the nose. But his frustration took over and he finally landed a punch to her left cheek. Then he grabbed her sides and forced them both to roll over so she was on her back. She punched him in the chin and kicked him with her knee, knocking him off balance. As she slammed her right elbow into the inside of his left elbow, his arm collapsed and she rolled herself out from under him to knock him onto his side.

* * *

Hauser's feet couldn't stay still as he sat in the back with the guns, prepping up a TMP with a scope, making sure the other guns are loaded and ready for use. Doc was gripping the armrests, anxious, not wanting to shoot a gun, but if it meant saving his partner he'd do it.

Hauser's phone vibrated. He looked at it to see it is his boss above him. He hit ignore and right away his phone started vibrating again. This time it was one of his scientists. He pulled away the headphone and mic.

"Hauser," he answered.

"Sampson finally made a move, he's still in San Francisco. He was caught on a security camera in one of the busy parts of the city... and judging from your GPS, you're making good time," the man said on the other line.

He gripped his TMP tighter. "Don't lose him. I want to know where he goes, and when cameras in the city are no longer helpful, use the satellites to follow him to where he is hiding. Got it?"

"Yes sir, I am right on it," the scientist hangs up and Hauser puts the head phone back on and moves the mic back up.

"Soto, one of my scientists just let me know that we finally found Sampson in the city, he is going to watch him and find out where he is hiding," he informed Doc, who turned around in his seat and gave him a thumbs-up.

"More good news rolling in, that's great!"

"Pilot, how much longer till we get there?" Hauser asks, both look at him.

"Not much longer, I'd say about 15 minutes, maybe less."

* * *

Rebecca kicked Rasgo in the back of the knee, and the big man came up on her left. She delivered a kick to his right side. He grabbed her leg and smirked, but she smirked back before kicking him in the left cheek with the toe of her right foot.

He hadn't seen it coming and let go of her leg, stepping back once while she landed on her hands and feet. She snatched up her gun and spun around to see the guy with the shotgun looking through the window in front of the radio.

He raised the shotgun, and she fired a round into his shoulder. Rasgo burst into her, his body pinning hers to the wall so she couldn't kick or knee him. He looked over his shoulder to see that the two had backed off and the one who she shot was clutching at his shoulder.

"You're pretty good," he aimed the gun at the ceiling. "How many rounds have you fired off already?"

She stared at him determinedly. Both of their chests are heaving from the fighting. Rasgo began to squeeze her fingers around the gun and the trigger. She clenched her jaw, and then her finger pulled the trigger.

"Oh... there's one," he smirked and squeezed her aching hand harder. Her finger pulls the trigger again, and again, until all that was left was a hollow click. Rasgo grinned. "Now that that is out of the way-"

He let go of her hand. She then punched him in the Adams apple, and he staggered back clutching at his throat, coughing, wheezing, gasping, eyes red.

The big guy charged up. Rebecca dove to the side, rolling onto her feet. Ignoring her aches, pains, and bruises is getting harder and harder. Her head is pounding, her stomach is throbbing, parts of her face is numb and her knuckles are red.

'Control your breathing... control the situation... '

The big man stepped up to her. "I'm going to enjoy this," he said, spitting out blood.

'Wait for him to make a move... wait and act, wait and act.'

He swung his right fist at her. She dodged by evading, arms and hands open, ready for his next move. He swung with his left fist and she evaded back the other way.

He put his left leg out, forcing her to crouch and dodge his leg. He moved to grab her, but she dove between his legs and kicked him in the back of the leg.

Growling angrily, he turned around.

"Fin... finish... her... n-ow-ow!" Rasgo demanded, clearing his throat. His face was beet-red.

A humming was beginning to rise from outside. 'Her back-up is nearly here.'

He ran at Rebecca, catching her in the stomach hard. She stumbled forward and he kicks her chest, knocking her onto her back. Looking up she sees the big guy looming over her. The humming sounded like it was outside the lodge now. Gunshots are going off.

Rasgo kicks her in the right side of the waist. She curls up.

'Oh no... Rebecca... they're here! Please hold on for them to come in and save us!'Lucy's heart is hammering in her chest, hands gripping her crutch and fingers white. Tears in her eyes, for Rebecca and at the idea of getting saved. 'Hold on Rebecca... just a little bit more!'

Ernest tried to shift to get onto his knees, but Rasgo pulled out his own gun and pointed it at him. He makes a ticking sound as if to say _nu-uh-uh! _He looks back at the big man. "Finish her."

The big guy steps up, taking her by the throat. "Oooh... the memories," he whispered, bringing her face up close to his. Rebecca lifted her right leg up, reached down with her right hand, upholsters her spare gun, and fires it.

It hit Rasgo in the left side of the chest, just below the shoulder.

The big man grabs her gun hand, and then throws her. She flew backwards and slammed hard into the glass door cabinet. It shattered from the impact and the wood cracked. Air rushed out of her lungs, leaving her gasping, and each breath sending a wave of pain to each nerve ending.

Lucy gasped behind the closet door, clamping her hands over her mouth. Her heart stopped.

Rasgo turned toward the closet, stepped over and opened it.

"What do we have here!" he says triumphantly, grabbing a hold of Lucy's left wrist. He wiped the blood from his nose and turned to look at Rebecca. "Very sneaky! I'll be taking her with me... leave her behind," he instructed the man and the gun shots calm down outside.

Rebecca looks around, her mind clearing up and focus now on Lucy. She spotted her gun lying in the mess of broken glass near her.

'No... I won't lose Lucy... not now... I won't let you take her!'

Grasping the gun, she holds it up. Rasgo shakes his head and she blinks, trying to get her vision to finally become one. He turns away and feel Lucy kicking and punching at him.

'Nuisance,' he thought, handing Lucy over to the big guy. "Carry her, will you?"

Rebecca's gun is raised and aimed on the big guy now. She is sitting up and putting all of her focus onto the man now carrying Lucy as she was kicking and pounding her fists on him, trying to get free.

_Bang!_ A hole appeared in the big guy's head.

Rasgo spun around to see his large man fall to his knees. Lucy falls to the floor, and the door behind them swung open. Hauser stepped in and immediately points his hand gun at the back of Rasgo's head.

"Jason Rasgo," he said. Rasgo turns around, frowns and holds up his hands in surrender.

Lucy looks over at Rebecca, watching her lower her gun. Doc walked in from behind Hauser as Hauser put cuffs onto Rasgo. Nice and tight.

'They're here... we're finally saved…'

Rebecca's aches and pains rush to the surface mixed with her hunger, thirst, exhaustion. The big man who had almost drowned her yesterday now had a bullet in the head. She'd protected Lucy and now they were saved.

Tears rushed to her eyes and she slumped back against the broken cabinet. Doc started to walk over, but Lucy grabbed his shirt. "Help me," she said. Her crutch was in the closet.

Doc reached down and put his arm around her, leading her to Rebecca. He sets her down for Lucy to pull Rebecca towards her, moving her so Rebecca's left shoulder is pressed against her. Rubbing Rebecca's torn right bicep, Lucy cradles her as the young detective began to shake from sobs. Her walls of being the strong, small, always-proving-herself woman crumbled.

"Shhh... it's okay, I've got you," Lucy whispered. Her heart ached for Rebecca, having watched her fight for the last several minutes until her mental and physical abilities got more and more spent.

Doc turned to look at Hauser, who has Rasgo on his knees. He returned eye contact with Doc and motioned for him to give them a moment.

After a few minutes passed, Rebecca was able to calm her emotions and wipe away her tears. The aches and pains are still there, though, and she is incredibly tired.

'Home... to my bed... and a nice juicy burger... Uncle Ray…'

Rebecca turned her head to Lucy and gave a small smile.

"Are you all right?" Lucy asked in a low voice, concern written all over her face.

"Yeah, I'll be okay... thank you," Rebecca said.

Lucy smiled back. "Anytime."

Rebecca got up first, feeling pieces of glass poking into her she hadn't noticed earlier. Doc held out his hand. Rebecca wrapped her arms around him and gave a hug. He returned it, but gently.

During this time, Hauser had taken care of Ernest and spoken with him outside about what all happened while on the run. Hauser was now on his phone talking to his boss about what has transpired and the bodies that now need to be picked up. The only man to give himself up was to give up was the one Rebecca had interrogated. Now he'd be in for the worst interrogation with Hauser's people when they get back.

Grabbing the makeshift crutch, Lucy walked out with two bottles of water and a handful of jerky. Rebecca did the same, Doc walking out behind her as the girls chugged down more water and groan at the taste of food and water entering their stomachs again.

A low hum was heard as another helicopter approached. As much as Hauser wanted to stay with the group, he turned to Lucy. "I'm staying behind, I need to take care of these two and explain in more detail as to what happened. I'll see you at the hospital, okay?" he said.

Lucy nodded. She could see the concern written all over his face. She was exhausted, and he saw it.

She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

He smiled a little. She smiled back and climbs into the helicopter.

Doc helped Rebecca climb in, then climbed in himself and closed the door, telling them to go to the nearest hospital in San Francisco. The pilot gave a thumbs up, "St. Mary's," and starts the helicopter up. The other one is hovering on the side, waiting to land.

Doc pulled out his cell phone. Ernest was sitting at the far side, with Lucy sitting next to him. Lucy gave a few pieces of jerky to Ernest and a bottle, he took it gratefully. Rebecca was sitting across from Lucy, with Doc next to her. Her eyes are closed, bruises are starting to form already. He looked back at his cell phone.

'Rebecca should be the one to call Ray... and Nikki.'

Turning to Rebecca, he saw the spot on her shoulder where a bullet grazed her and bit his bottom lip. Reaching down he touched her right forearm. She opened her eyes.

"When we get out of the dead zone, you should call Ray and Nikki."

A smile appeared on Rebecca's face and she nodded in agreement.

* * *

"So... Hauser... what the heck happened?" his boss asked as he walked up in his military uniform.

Standing next to his two prisoners, Hauser looked at him steadily and cleared his throat. "When Dr. Soto and I approached, we saw men running around the lodge trying to find cover."

_Hovering over the trees, Hauser opened up the side door, his duffel bag with guns next to him, his TMP in his hands, headset on. "Closer... I can see a few of them behind trees and one behind a large boulder," Hauser said and put the butt of the TMP to his shoulder._

_Looking through the scope, the pilot moved a little closer. Little pings could be heard going off against the helicopter. His left eye closed, right eye open, he reached up to touch the side of the gun while his index finger rested on the trigger._

_He found the man behind the boulder. Aiming for his head, he fired and watched as the man's head jerked back, a hole in the upper forehead now showing. He fell onto his back. _

_Turning his attention to the men in the trees, one firing a shotgun, he smirked. A lot of good that will do for you. He fired just as the man ran into cover, putting bullets into the grass and side of the tree instead._

_A man ran out with his handgun, as if maddened by the helicopter spoiling his plans. He started firing, and Hauser turned his attention to him, aiming for his chest and pulling the trigger three times. The man fell, and the helicopter turned around so Hauser could view the rest of the men hiding behind the trees and shooting from around the corner._

_Looking for obvious ones, Hauser shot at the right time, taking down the rest of the men with handguns and one with a TMP. One man tossed his gun and stepped out._

"_Smart boy," Hauser muttered. "The last one is over there... I think we can land I can shoot him when we get down."_

_The pilot nodded and lowered the helicopter, taking off the headset. Hauser stepped down once the helicopter touched the ground. He sets down his TMP and grabbed a handgun. Shotgun blasts went off to his left. He moves around the helicopter and looked around it. The guy was picking up one of his fallen comrades handguns. He saw Hauser and lifted his shotgun._

_The man got one more shot off before Hauser put two bullets into his chest. He fell to his knees, the shotgun hitting the ground. Hauser fired again, putting a bullet into the man's forehead. He watched as the man slumps forward and fell onto his belly._

_Doc climbed out of the helicopter while Hauser walked over quickly to the young man who gave up._

"_On your knees, hands behind your head," Hauser instructed as the helicopter blades starts to slow down. Doc was about to run into the lodge while Hauser slaps cuffs to the guy's left wrist. "Soto, let me go in first, we don't know how many are in there."_

_Doc stopped and waited patiently for Hauser to finish handcuffing the young man. He picked up the gun and put it into the pack of his pants._

_Hauser hurried over, stepping in front of Doc with his gun held up at the ready. "Are you ready?" he asks, unsure if what they're about to see is going to crush them or not. _

_Please... please be alive... I hope we're not too late._

_Doc gave a solid nod. A gunshot was heard inside, and both of their hearts skip a beat. Hauser kicked the door with his right leg, and it swung open. _

_He stepped inside to see Rebecca looking like she's been through hell, a man slumped on his knees, a man bound by his wrists lying on the floor, Lucy on her side lying next to the man and Jason Rasgo standing in front of him._

"_Jason Rasgo," he said coolly. Rasgo's hands went up in surrender, and Doc quickly cuffs them. 'I'm not taking any chances with you.'_

"Now Lucy, Rebecca and the pilot from the crash are being taken to the hospital," Hauser finished.

His friend watched as his military guys took the 63' and the hired killer to a helicopter to be dealt with. He then looked at Hauser, "I'm glad I was wrong, Emerson."

* * *

It took 15 minutes to get out of the dead zone. Doc handed Rebecca the phone with Ray's number already highlighted. She hit the send button, listening to the ringing, suddenly remembering the sound of the roaring bear that saved hers and Lucy's lives. 'I need to remember to thank him for accidentally sending me that.'

"Please tell me you have good news, Diego," Ray said, and Rebecca smiled at his voice.

"I'm going to live." She heard a big sigh of relief come from Ray. "We're on our way to St. Mary's Hospital. She looked out the window next to Doc, watching the ocean zooming by.

"I'm sorry how it ended between us before you left," Ray said, his voice low.

"It's okay... I'm just happy to be coming home after that nightmare... a cheeseburger with-"

"I'll grab one on my way over, I'll be waiting... and Becky?"

She lifted her head a little. "Yeah?" she said, rubbing at her eyes.

"I love you."

Rebecca felt tears suddenly rush to her eyes. "I love you too."

With that they both hung up, and Rebecca dialled for Nikki. Sitting back again, she closed her eyes.

"Hi Diego, how did it go?" Nikki asked, sounding like she was holding her breath preparing for the worst.

Smiling, Rebecca kept her eyes closed. "We're on our way to St. Mary's Hospital... could you bring me a toothbrush... shampoo and-"

"Rebecca! Oh my gosh! I knew you were still alive! Are you okay?"

Lucy smirked at the requests that Rebecca just made, and Ernest looked over finally. Rebecca opened her eyes to see them both looking at her. Ernest looked like he was carrying a heavy load on his shoulders.

"I am beaten... exhausted... thirsty... hungry and Ray is bringing me my all-time favourite... I'm ready to sleep for a week... maybe two. I'm sure my pilot and my partner on the run feel closely the same... I'm just happy to be coming back," Rebecca answered and can hear a coat rack fall over and a grunt. She smiled, knowing Nikki was hurrying to get out.

"I'll run into a drug store on the way over, and run into your place for a spare change of clothes... anything else?"

"Lucy, Ernest, you need anything?" Rebecca asked, she sees a flash of more guilt across Ernest's face.

"Toothbrush please, that's all," Lucy answered.

Rebecca looked at Ernest. He appeared to be fighting an inner battle.

"Same," he replied, turning his attention back to the window.

'Looks like I'll be having another talk with you.'

Rebecca moved the phone back to her mouth. "A total of 3 toothbrushes. Thanks a bunch, Nikki."

"No need to thank me, I'll see you in a little while."

To Be Continued...

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! Please review! Tell me what you liked, disliked, what else you saw that could have happened, etc.

Something that I know you'll love hearing is this chapter was originally going to be the last one. I decided while I was on chapter 3 I think it was, that I was going to end it on chapter 5. I had decided since chapter 1 that Rebecca and Lucy would get holed up in the lodge, contact Doc and Hauser and have to wait to be rescued. While writing chapter 4, going over the extra scenarios I had to add into chapter 5, and while working on chapter 5 with the fight sequence. I came up with more to add into this chapter and more to add into the next chapter. However; chapter 6 may be the last chapter, I'm not sure yet, we'll see.

Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Take care and Merry Christmas!  
SLITH


	6. Chapter 6

Ray hurried into the hospital and rushed to a receptionist. He was carrying Rebecca's cheeseburger in a paper bag.

"Excuse me, Miss? I'm looking for Rebecca Madsen. She's being brought in by helicopter."

The woman typed at the computer, then looked up at him. "The helicopter's en route- it'll be here in about half an hour or so. Please fill this form out…" she handed over a clipboard with a pen attached.

"Thank you," Ray walked over to a lounge. He sat the bag down on a small table, realizing that the burger wouldn't be very good by the time Rebecca gets to it.

'I'll grab her another one when they're here and stable.'

Sitting down, he began to fill in the information.

Within fifteen minutes he heard someone rushing in. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Nikki with two bags in her hands.

"Nikki!"

She spins around, confused at first and then joyful, she hurries over to him. "Ray! How are you doing? Any word yet?"

Ray shakes his head, "when I got here the receptionist said they'd be about half an hour… that was twenty minutes ago. When I see her alive and well, I'll be better." He stands up and walks over to the receptionist to hand the clipboard over, then took his seat back and looked at the bags. "What have you got there?"

Nikki opened it for him to see, "toothbrushes, shampoo and some fresh clean clothes for Rebecca," she answered.

Ray smiled, 'she knows where the spare key is kept.'

"I was told their plane crashed and that some people might be after them for the work and people they've been putting behind bars," Nikki said, that was all Doc would tell her.

Ray pursed his lips tightly together. "You know as much as I know-"

They both turned, having heard a helicopter outside. Both stood up and Nikki rushed to the receptionist. "What floor will the patients in the helicopter be brought to?"

The receptionist looked at the computer and clicked at a few things. "The next floor up," she answered.

Nikki hurried back to grab her bags. Ray grabbed the now cold burger in the bag and went with Nikki to the elevators down the hall. They went up together. Both eager to see Rebecca, what condition she was in, to hear what happened and what needed to be done. They waited in the small lounge as one stretcher after another came out of the elevator.

Standing up, Ray hurried over first to see Rebecca. His heart flipped at her bruises, cuts, and her heavy eyes.

"Rebecca... you look…"

"I'm sorry sir, but she needs an X-Ray and CT scan. Excuse me," a nurse pushed past Ray to wheel Rebecca into the room. Lucy and Ernest were wheeled into a regular room to be looked over.

Ray took a step back and rubbed his face.

"She'll be all right. It's not like..." Nikki trailed off.

"I know... I know." Ray put his arm around Nikki and they walked back to the small lounge.

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes. She saw a styrophome container next to her bed and Ernest sleeping in his bed on her right closest to the windows. Rebecca is not yet in the room.

She looks over to see Hauser walk into the room and make eye contact with her instantly, smiling. "You're awake, good. How do you feel?" he asked, pulling a chair up next to the bed where the container sat.

Lucy thought it over. 'I'm not sore... but I'm still tired, hungry and thirsty_._'"I feel good, just hungry, thirsty and tired still."

"I thought you might be... hungry that is," he reached over to the container, opened it and handed it over to her with a smile.

"Oooh... you shouldn't have!" Lucy grabbed the fork sitting inside and picked up the piece of chocolate cake with whipped cream, strawberries, vanilla chocolate flakes and chocolate chunks. Putting it into her mouth, she moaned at the flavours. "Mmmm... it's delicious."

She looked at him and then blinked. "Wait... where is Rebecca?"

"She's being looked after, don't worry, she'll be fine," he assured her and Lucy continued eating. Hauser watched her eat it and poured her a cup of cold water. She chugged it down with the food in a matter of minutes. He set aside the container and fork, then he placed his right hand onto hers.

"You look pretty good, considering what you've just been through."

Lucy nodded. "I have Rebecca to thank for that," she said, and watched his eyes narrow. "She protected me, every step of the way... she shot a man that tackled me... defended me when a man was instructed to kill." She smiled at the next memory. "When I twisted my ankle, she carried me on her back up a hill and into a cave, grabbed wood, kindling, made a fire, found some berries for us to eat, found a crutch for me to use…"

Hauser watched and listened. He wasn't surprised by what Rebecca did.

"Rebecca caught one of the men off guard and found out what all was going on... then she did her best to fight a very large man... much like the 63's Pinky," Lucy said, looking Hauser in the eye. "In the end, he nearly drowned her in a stream... I threw rocks at him, finally I hit him as hard as I could with my crutch in the back of the head... the sun was setting at the time. That was the night that I did everything I could to keep Rebecca from freezing... and then when we got into the lodge she had an idea as to where food might be stored. She was right, and then we contacted you and she had me hide in the closet... I watched her fight with Rasgo and the large man," Lucy's eyes were downcast. Images of Rebecca fighting, getting hurt and dealing what she could in return flashed through her mind. "I owe Rebecca so much."

As if on cue, a nurse wheeled a half-conscious Rebecca into the room, small bandages on her face, a bandage on her right shoulder, some gauze around her right hand and what looks like a tensor wrapped around her torso. She looks groggy.

"How is she?" Hauser asks before Lucy could, having an abundance of new found respect for the young small detective.

"She'll be all right, just needs some rest and lots of nourishment."

Looking at her now, Hauser understood that Rebecca took the major grunt of the whole thing. Turning to look over his shoulder, he looks at the sleeping Ernest.

"What about him?" he asked Lucy, suddenly feeling anger for a man who should have been there to help, to protect and defend.

Lucy looks at Ernest and frowns, "at first, he was all jokes, making light of the situation, helpful. Then when we discovered the plane had been sabotaged he asked what it was we were into. We told him the truth, and he didn't believe us...

Rebecca did her best to set him straight, and then we got chased... he was shot... and he told us to run, Rebecca didn't want to, she wanted to save him. I think in that moment he saw that she was being genuine. Of course later you never know if the idea..." Lucy looks up at the ceiling, summoning up a scenario that would be possible for him. "Fear of him telling Rasgo where we were headed, giving us up to save his own life... who knows. Rasgo figured it out in the end when he looked at a map to see the direction we were constantly going in."

"So... that's why the funny vibe while I spoke with him," Hauser said, and smiled at Lucy. "The important thing is, you're safe now. You both are."

* * *

'Those are voices... wait... where am I?'

Rebecca's eyes opened. The fluorescent light above her hurt her eyes.

'Bright light... right above head... okay, assess situation. Chest hurts a bit... breathing feels tightish... head... not hurting. Sides... aching... throat is a little sore and dry... hand is warm... think. What do you remember last? There was a fight... I shot the big guy... Lucy got freed... someone stepped in... a helicopter... people in white... blue... hospital?'

"Thank you miss," Rebecca finally heard, and recognized the voice.

'Ray!'

Opening her eyes slower this time, she blinked and looked down to see Ray smiling and holding her hand. He let go to grab the container of water and pour her a cup of cold water with a straw.

"Here... this'll help," he said softly.

The cool feeling of the water filling her mouth and slipping into her throat felt so refreshing. After a few mouthfuls Ray pulled it away and set it down.

"How do you feel?"

"Hungry... sore... thirsty..." Her voice is a little raspy at first, but he smiled all the same.

"Well, I just got back, the nurse gave me an update and I have a fresh burger here with your name on it," Ray pulled up the bag and then the tin foil wrapped burger. Moving the tray out in front of her, he reached for a button, eased her into sitting up and placed the burger onto the tray.

Opening the wrapper, Rebecca asked, "how's Lucy and Ernest? And where's Doc and Nikki?"

"Lucy is all right, she's been watching you. And Ernest? He's been all right, don't worry about him."

Rebecca swallowed and took another big bite, looking at him, enjoying this meal.

"Diego and Nikki are just grabbing some food for themselves in the cafeteria, I expect they'll be back in a few minutes. Neither wanted to leave, but I told them they'd regret not eating if they watch you wolf down that burger."

Rebecca smiled from cheek to cheek and then winced, slowing her chewing and touching her stomach, then her side.

"Does it hurt?" he asks and Rebecca nods before swallowing.

"Yeah..."

Ray presses the call button, and a nurse comes in. "Where does it hurt, how much, and on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad is it?"

"Right in here," Rebecca pointed. "Pinching up here... kind of tight... a dull ache down here... I'd say... a 5."

The nurse looked at her charts. "I'll be right back," she said, and left the room. Rebecca took another bite and closed her eyes.

Within a minutes the nurse was back. "Okay, I'm injecting a standard pain killer, it should take care of the ache and most of the pinching. You had a couple of cracked ribs, a broken one and a bruised one, a tensor bandage is wrapped around you to keep it all in place for proper healing, which is why it feels tight."

Rebecca rolled her eyes at the cracked and broken rib.

'Great... this recovery is going to be so much more fun than the last one!' _s_he thought sarcastically as the nurse pulled the needle out of the tube. She looked up at her and smiled. "Thanks."

The nurse smiled back and left the room.

"I'm surprised it's only one broken rib and not more," Rebecca commented. "What else did the nurse tell you?"

Ray shifted in his chair. "Not too much else. You're going to be here for about two weeks."

Her eyes widened. "Two weeks? Damn… they got me good."

"Kid, you've been through a lot. Don't beat yourself up when someone else already did. I hope sometime soon you're able to tell me about it…"

Doc and Nikki both walked in. Their faces light up at seeing Rebecca awake and already halfway through her burger.

Ray shifts in his chair, "well... not too much else, you need to get re-hydrated, food into you, and you're going to be here for about two weeks to be sure your ribs heal properly."

Her eyes widen, she swallows, "two weeks? Damn... they got me good," she takes an angry bite out of her burger. Ray watches her with concern, 'kid... you've been through a lot... don't beat yourself up when you've already gotten beaten up... I hope sometime soon your able to tell me about it. Part of the fun recovery process,' Ray thinks and then Doc and Nikki both walk in.

Both of their faces light up at seeing Rebecca awake and already halfway through her burger. "You're awake! How are you?" Nikki asks, and comes up on the left side of the bed, carrying an egg salad sandwich and a container filled with fruits. Doc had a container of soup, a bun to dip it in, a strawberry parfait and a bagel with cream cheese.

"The nurse just gave me some pain killers, broken rib, two cracked ribs, one bruised and I'll be stuck here for about two weeks to be sure they heal properly," Rebecca said.

"You've been out for a day," Doc told her.

Resting her head back, chewing, Rebecca closed her eyes briefly and swallowed before sitting up a bit, her chest still aching. Nikki and Doc both sat down and start eating.

"So, what happened?" Nikki asked and Rebecca frowned a little.

"I don't remember everything... just bits and pieces... running... fighting," Rebecca shrugged.

'Sorry, Nikki... right now I can't tell you.'

Ray saw this, "don't worry... when you're ready, it'll come back to you."

* * *

Lucy stirred, hearing moaning and groaning. On instinct she looks at Rebecca; she is kicking, tossing and turning in her sleep.

"Rebecca... it's a nightmare, wake up," she said, watching Rebecca clutch at the sheets.

_Feeling the icy cold water soak right through_ _her clothes, 'no... not this again! Please no!' his grip loosens around her throat so she'll be able to take in the water. The cold water soaking her to the bone, her body growing numb by the second, she can't hold her breath, the water slipping in and choking her. Reaching down, Rebecca tries to find the knife on her._

Lucy slid the barrier down once she saw Rebecca's left hand start reaching for her throat and stepped onto the cool hospital floor, taking the few steps to Rebecca's bed.

"Rebecca, wake up, it's a dream." Reaching up, she took Rebecca's hand. "I'm here, Rebecca."

Rebecca gasped and sat up. Her ribs didn't appreciate the sudden move. She took a few breaths and looked up at Lucy, tightening her left hand into hers.

"What was that about?" Lucy asked in a soft voice.

"The fight at the stream... only it was different..." she looked up at the ceiling recalling the nightmare. "He started to go after you, he had just knocked me down, I ran at him and climbed onto his back and started to try and strangle him... only he grabbed me and threw me onto the ground... that hurt. Then he took me by the throat again and submerged me into the water... I was choking on the cold water when you woke me."

Lucy frowns, "I'm sorry..." and then her mind went to her conversation with Hauser. She looks at Rebecca.

'I'll talk to her about it later... she has much on her mind right now.'

She gave Rebecca's hand a squeeze and then let go. "You should go back to sleep... I know it doesn't sound like a good idea, but right now you need your rest."

"I know... I'll just lie here for a bit in the hopes of avoiding that nightmare and I'll try sleeping again," she offered a smile. "Hey... Lucy?"

Lucy looks at Rebecca as she climbs into her bed, setting her crutch aside again as well as the stand with her IV.

"Thanks... for waking me."

* * *

Rebecca woke to hear talking again. This time it was between Ernest and a nurse. He was dressed in regular clothes and is heading out. He is looking a lot better, Lucy is asleep.

"Thank you, Miss," He smiled at the nurse as she walked away. Then he looks at Rebecca, and his smile fades.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye?" Rebecca teased him. "I know why you didn't trust me in there, Ernest, and I understand. Please don't make this awkward."

He started to head for the door but then turned to her.

"I'm sorry. Out there in the game of survival, your head plays games with you. Especially with those you don't know. And when you know one is a cop… your head spins in all directions and you start to question everything." There was sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry I doubted you, and put all three of us in danger."

Feeling a little taken aback, Rebecca reached up with her left hand holding it out to him. "I understand, Ernest... I forgive you," she said, and she could see the weight lift off of his shoulders. He took her hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Thank you, for... everything," Ernest released her hand. "You are an incredible young lady."

With that, he turned and left the room.

Looking towards Lucy, Rebecca sees that she is still asleep. 'Something tells me you'll be checking out of here soon as well… lucky.'

Doc came walking in next, and Rebecca smiled at him. "Good morning, Doc."

He smirks, "glad to see you're doing well. I just saw your pilot leaving… I guess that means that Lucy may be heading out soon too. How do you feel?"

"Mmmm… pretty good. Painkillers are doing their job. Now… what did you and Hauser find out while the three of us were running for our lives?"

Doc had been wondering when this question was going to pop up- and had hoped it would be later. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"A guy named Owen Sampson, a 63' was the one who sabotaged your plane, caught him on tape. We interviewed the employees, had them inspect our plane and it turns out that our plane was also sabotaged. However, there was no way to determine what he did to your plane to figure out where you might have crashed... and he dropped off the radar," he rubbed the back of his head. "Then, Hauser wanted to go up in the air and start searching, but then a bad storm hit, which grounded all flights... one set back after another. The next day we finally got a flight out, turned up empty," Doc continued. "… What?"

Rebecca shook her head. "Nothing, continue."

His eyebrows furrowed. "No... I know that look. Did we fly over you?"

"Yeah... fighting the kid I had interrogated," Rebecca answered and watched his face fall. "Hey – we're alive, we're back, talking, eating... don't worry about it... continue."

Doc looks at her. 'We were right over them... we could have rescued them sooner if we could have seen through the green... damn it!'

"I'll make it up to you... somehow," he said. She opened her mouth to protest, but he jumped back in. "I had to call Ray and Nikki to update them on the search... it was so hard letting them down each time... and then Hauser got a call from his boss. They didn't think you three were alive and pretty much told Hauser to give up and move on, that they wouldn't fund another search, he asked the price to rent a helicopter and he looked defeated. However, I've published the book on the inmates and guards of Alcatraz... I'm a comic artist... own a comic book store... I went into my bank account and got the funds to rent a helicopter. Just as we were about to head out for another big sweep, when your radio call came in," Doc smiles big, his face glowing. "Hearing your voice finally... after all that time... knowing you were alive like we all kept hoping was such a relief, and on the way over Hauser got a call from one of the scientists that Owen Sampson was spotted on a camera." His smile faded a little. "When I saw you slumped against that cabinet, bruised, cut, exhausted... I've never seen you so... in such... you know?"

'Yeah... being thrown like a rag doll into that cabinet... I must have looked...'"What happened with Sampson?"

"Hauser went with some of his guys to grab Sampson at his hideout. We tracked him with the satellite cameras. Only when he got there, somehow Sampson slipped out, so we're back on the hunt for him," Doc answered with a frown. "Sorry... but there are two police officers stationed outside of this room, they know what he looks like so if he tries anything, he won't succeed a second time."

'Well... at least I have protection... wait.'

Rebecca's eyebrows raised at a memory from the first night she and Lucy were on their own. "Oh, and thank you for accidentally sending me that roaring bear thingy from that video game... it came in handy. Lucy and I made camp in a small cave, when one of the hunters approached the entrance, I put it on full volume and played it. He ran yelling that there was a bear in the cave. You inadvertently saved us."

Doc smiles, "really? Wow... that's pretty cool," he cleared his throat. "I'm happy that I was able to help you in some way while you two were out there on your own..."

"Good morning Dr. Soto," Lucy said. Both of them turned their attention to see Lucy had just woken up and was already looking much better.

"Good morning. Your roommate left a little while ago," Doc said.

Lucy glanced over at Ernest's old bed and then looks back at him, just as Ray stepped into the room.

"Oh, here," Doc stood up to give Ray his chair.

"That's all right, Diego, you don't have to," Ray said.

"I insist. I'll sit down with Lucy, I don't mind," Doc smiled, and grabbed a chair to pull up on Lucy's left.

Ray nodded. "All right, thanks," he turned his attention to Rebecca. "How did you sleep last night, kid?"

Rebecca sighed. "Had a nightmare... regular dreams after it… it's what is to be expected." Her mind had been on rest, food and water when she got there, and she'd completely forgot to factor in the idea of the nightmares that would come.

Ray looked down at the bedsheets. "You shouldn't have to go through anything more... but I know you're right. Every cop who goes through something traumatic…"

Rebecca could see a question in his eyes. 'Please... don't start it up now... don't ask me to leave the team, to stop hunting for the 63's. I can't handle a fight right now…'

He nodded his head.

"I wonder what's for breakfast," Rebecca said out loud, starting to feel hungrier at the idea of bacon, sausage, eggs, potato or hash brown and some fruit on the side.

Ray smiles, "You were asleep when another nurse came in yesterday to mark down your meals for today. I told her your favourites."

"Ooooh... a proper breakfast... just the way I like it," Rebecca's smile grew into a grin.

'Gosh, she looks like a little girl, the smallest of things always makes her happy. I never have to do much to get a smile out of her, treating her to what she likes in a meal and seeing her smile through her healing bruised face makes it all better.'

Ray smiles, his eyes getting a little moist.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's moments like these... where I see the little girl I raised showing me the sparks that I had come to miss while you were gone. I love you, Becky," Ray answers and he sees her melt in her bed.

"I love you too, Uncle Ray."

* * *

At one in the afternoon, Ray was called in to work. At first he argued, until Rebecca talked him into leaving. She promised that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and that she'd be expecting him in the evening.

The doctor filled out the forms for Lucy to leave. She was in the bathroom, getting changed, cleaned up, brushing her teeth while Hauser waited in the room with Rebecca, who was shifting in her bed trying to get comfortable.

"I've been trying to come in here when Ray isn't around. I remember all too well his reaction to seeing me when you were in the emergency room. I don't expect he'll ever forgive me for taking you on in tracking the 63's," Hauser said and walked up to her bed.

She looked at him curiously. Usually when he talked with her, it was only work related, or pestering her about her choice in her partner. No "job well done," or , "keep up the good work." None of that.

"Lucy told me… it means a lot to me what you did," Hauser put his hand onto her bed rail and looked her in the eye. "Thank you, for protecting her and caring for her. I..." he looks down and at a monitor, trying to find the right words. "I... would like it to be the way it was back when... I know she told you about us," he said.

"Hauser," Rebecca jumped in, "you care about Lucy a lot, even after all of these years. I know that. If you want things to be like they were, or similar... take her out to where you once went. Take her out for dinner, a movie, theatre act... something. I know that you have the job on the mind... but you also need time for you and her that isn't work."

Lucy, in the bathroom, heard what Rebecca had said and paused, wondering what Hauser would say.

He sighed and glanced over his shoulder at the bathroom door. "I understand... thank you... again," he tried a smile and the bathroom door opened.

"Everything all right?" Lucy asked, chipper.

He smiles in return, "Yes, ready to go?"

'Do I ask him to wait outside while I thank Rebecca for everything that she has done? Is this the right situation for it? Blast it... I need to tell her!'

"Give me a moment, please."

Hauser nodded, stepping out of the room to give the two some privacy while Lucy walks up to Rebecca's bed.

"I wanted to thank you-" Rebecca opened her mouth to protest, but she held up her hand. "Please, I need to say this. From the first attack on the beach, you protected me, I didn't even ask you to do it, you just did. You protected me from killers, men fighting to get the bounty on our heads, when the man ordered to kill us, instead of focusing on him, you turned to take on my attacker. When I twisted my ankle, you carried me on your back… you interrogated, got us fire wood, food, fought a man over twice your size… so we could keep going. Then he almost drowned you… I have an idea that I saved your life that night, but then the beating you went through in the lodge," Lucy took a breath. "Fighting Rasgo, that large man again… I watched the whole thing from a few cracks in the closet door."

A chill ran up Rebecca's spine.

"The amount of…" she didn't know how to explain it, it felt too little, "the amount you went through to protect us and get us home. I'll never be able to thank you for everything you did for me… I hope that someday I'll be able to owe you back or something."

Rebecca shook her head now. "You owe me nothing, Lucy. I was doing what-"

"Rebecca… please," she looks at her with pleading eyes, "I know you'll say you were doing your job, or doing what you felt you had to do… but for me, seeing it first hand, you did much more than that," she took a breath. Seeing it sinking in for Rebecca, "thank you for everything you did for me."

Rebecca opened her arms. "Come here."

Lucy leaned in and gave her a gentle hug and peck on the cheek before pulling away.

"I'll see you later Lucy."

"Take care."

To Be Continued…

* * *

Please read and review! I hope you are still enjoying the story Fight, I love reading your reviews. What your enjoying, your reactions, all of it!

I hope the new year is treating everyone well, for me I have twins growing inside of me ^_^

Take care!

SLITH


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to all of my loyal readers and to my Beta's, reading what you've been enjoying and that you've stuck with me to the end. I cannot thank you enough ^_^ And thanks for the messages about my pregnancy. This last chapter took a lot of creativity to write, I hope you enjoy it as much as you've enjoyed the rest of the story.

* * *

Rebecca had been out of hospital for a week and taking it easy. The two weeks she had been admitted for had felt like forever. While she had been in there Hauser, Lucy and Doc had managed to get another 63. Rebecca heard about it through Ray, and on the news.

Lucy had gotten rid of her crutch as soon as she was able. Jason Rasgo was behind bars in the new Alcatraz.

Walking away from the counter, Hauser walked with Lucy to a little round table in the back corner of a cafe. It was 11:15 a.m, and this was his third date with Lucy. He set down his cup of coffee.

"This is nice... is it a new place?" Lucy asked. Hauser looks around.

"Yes, I believe it opened a couple of months ago," Hauser watches the steam rise from his ceramic coffee mug for a second before looking back at Lucy. _Gosh damn it... when we first dated it was so easy to pick up a conversation... the last thing I want to talk about is work._

Lucy smiled at him, "It's nice to be out during the day instead of waiting in the lab."

Hauser nodded in agreement, "Yes... actually, there's a set of live musical performances taking place outside the old theatre. Next week Friday evening, if I remember correctly. Students from a music academy are performing, and some older musicians from in the area as well."

"Did you get tickets?"

Hauser grinned at her and reached inside his jacket pocket, "VIP tickets, front row."

Lucy smiles, "I'm sure it'll be a nice show. Can I see?" she held out her hand, and he gave her a ticket to examine. "Five until midnight. I remember when you took me to that club with live stage music…" she set the ticket down and sipped her tea.

Hauser sat back in his chair, "I remember that too." He looked back on that as a fond memory.

"Everybody get your hands in the air!"

Lucy spun around in her chair. Everyone's attention was now on two men at the counter of the café. They are wearing black t-shirts, green camouflage pants and dark brown leather boots. The larger of the two is wearing a fabric bag over his head, and it had a skull printed where the face should be. He has a barbed wire tattoo around his right bicep and a Casio digital watch on his left wrist. In his hands is a H&K MP5K sub-machine gun.

His partner is similar, though not as built, and his own tattoo is of an open-mouthed, fanged snake. He has black gloves and is holding a Remington 870 express magnum shotgun. He pointed it at the employees behind the counter.

"Open the register! Now!"

Skull-face was now looking over the customers, "I said get your hands in the air! NOW! On your knees!" he pointed the gun around as Hauser put his Bluetooth in his right ear. He and Lucy moved to their knees like everyone else. Reaching into his right pocket he looks at the phone screen when the man looked away and hitting the button for voice command.

"Call Rebecca," he said over the whimpering women in the room, and Lucy looks at him with concern.

She opens her mouth to say something but Skull-face walked right up to their end. He is sweeping his eyes over everyone.

"Pull out your purses and wallets, toss them into a pile right here in the middle of the floor!"

Lucy took out her wallet and tossed it in with the others. Hauser took a moment before he pulled out his own wallet- and his FBI badge.

"Madsen," he heard in his ear, and he finally tossed his wallet.

He lowered his voice and looks at Lucy, "I need you to listen very carefully, we are going to get out of this robbery. These two men are only interested in our money."

* * *

Rebecca and Doc were sitting out on the patio at a diner. Rebecca would have ordinarily gone to her favourite sushi restaurant, but knew Doc wouldn't like it. They are almost finished with their lunches. Doc had ordered a platter of wings, fries, battered mushrooms, potato skins and vegetables. Rebecca had ordered a chicken quesadilla that had green and red peppers, onions, and perfectly cooked chicken, and a side of fries with gravy.

Dipping the tip of her last piece of quesadilla into her sour cream, Rebecca grinned and sat back. "I missed this," she comments as Doc started wiping off his fingers and face.

"Same here... out of the hospital, enjoying good food with good company," Doc said with a smirk as he finally got the rest of the sauce off of his face. "Have you..." he looked at her curiously, wondering if this was a good time to ask or not.

She grabbed two fries and dipped them into the gravy. "Have I...?" she raised her eyebrows at him, not knowing what he was hinting at.

Before he could respond, her phone went off, and she rolled her eyes and answered. "Madsen."

"I need you to listen very carefully, we are going to get out of this robbery. These two men are only interested in our money," Hauser responded in a low voice.

Rebecca frowned, looking confusedly at Doc. She became serious and focused.

'I can't ask anything too specific otherwise whoever is there is going to get suspicious... what kind of guns, but it sounds like they're interested in not only the cash registers but the customers money. Wait... Hauser's wallet will have his badge and that can get them into a sticky situation, a solid hostage that the Feds won't want to lose.'

"Do they seem like amateurs? Where are you?" Rebecca got up and placed her free hand over the microphone of her cell phone. "Hauser and Lucy are in a place getting robbed, if he can tell me where, I need you to call my precinct and tell them the information."

Doc nodded and got up, calling for the waitress to bring their bill. Rebecca went for her wallet, but Doc waved it off. She nodded and went for the car.

* * *

Hauser looked around at the two men. Snake-face was pulling all of the cash and coin-rolls out of the cash register.

"Hurry up!" Skull-face glanced over his shoulder, and his partner finally joined him.

"Okay-okay, go!" Snake-face said, now looking over the customers. Skull-face picked up their wallets and started to open them.

Clearing his throat, Hauser whispered to Lucy again "Organized. They've planned this well- in and out operation. Hitting a new café is risky."

* * *

Rebecca started the ignition, "Hold on." She pulled the phone away from her ear and did a quick Google search for newly opened cafes in the area. Doc opened the passenger door and got in. Setting the phone to speakerphone, Rebecca said, "I'm going to send the police over. What are they carrying?"

She handed the phone over to Doc, the screen showing the Café address and name. "Two men, organized, taking the cash register money and the customer's wallets. Tell them I'm on my way over now," Rebecca instructed him as he dialed 911.

* * *

A man stood up from the cluster of customers. Snake-face took a step toward him. The man was smaller, with his baseball cap on crooked and a hooded shirt that was much too large for him.

"Sir, can't you just take the wallets in your bag and go?" he asked. He had a Boston accent, or something that Hauser couldn't place.

'How are they keeping customers from coming in? There must be more outside or some sort of controlled deterrent,' Hauser wondered as he watched the young man get hit in the stomach with the butt of the shotgun.

"We will leave when we are ready! Now shut up, stay down and don't move!"

Lucy took in the frightened faces, couples holding one another, a woman rubbing her swollen abdomen, a few construction workers looked irritated and like they wanted to make a move, a group of four teenagers huddled together, a husband whispering encouragement to his wife. Then she caught sight of someone, a familiar face.

"Hauser… the guy in the dark blue hoodie, in the corner, he's shifty. I recognize him."

Hauser looked over while trying to figure out how to relay the weapons without looking suspicious. His eyes widened.

"Owen Sampson... that son of a-" he stopped. "I didn't notice him before... maybe he came for a meeting and now he's going to lose his pay cut. Hard to say, but he is very shaky, his hood is up, head down... I hope he doesn't do anything stupid. HK MP5... Rem 870," he managed before Snake-face walked in their direction.

Doc hung up his cell phone, having just relayed the guns, location, how many and everything else Rebecca told him to say. "Okay, they're on their way over in less than 2 minutes," he informed as Rebecca had to stop for the lunch hour traffic.

'Sampson... the man that caused the plane to crash... if I ever get my hands on him... Lucy and Hauser are first priorities right with the other hostages though…'

"Damn it... couldn't this have happened after lunch hour?" then she looked at Doc curiously, "or maybe they're covering their butts. Knowing if the police do come then they'll get slowed up by the lunch hour traffic... at least the cops have their sirens and flashing lights."

* * *

Snake-face looked at Hauser and spots the Bluetooth in his right ear, "give me that! Your ear piece!" he ordered, as Hauser reached up to grab the Bluetooth. He made sure to press the power button and handed it over.

The man looked at it and then back at him.

"You a big business man? Hands free driving, don't break the law kinda guy?" he asked, pointing the shotgun.

"I wouldn't say I don't break the law. Who doesn't run a red light, make a U turn in the middle of a busy road or changes lanes without signalling?"

Snake-face shook his head. "You're a funny guy... what's your name?"

"Hank Janekins."

"Quit jerking around over there, these construction workers look a little jumpy," skull face said gruffly, about to pick up Hauser's wallet just as sirens were being heard. He dropped it, spun around and looked through the window, "oh shit... how did the cops find out?" he turned to face the group of hostages. "Everybody pull out your cell phones and toss them into the pile with the wallets! Now!"

Snake face watched each person pull out their cell phones, when it came to the construction workers, all three jumped up at snake face. He managed to smack one in the side of the head with the butt of his shotgun, but the other two knocked him back for Skull- face to fire his MP5 into the ceiling, causing most of the women cry out, cringe and move further back.

The other two construction workers staggered back, one of them was hit with the butt of the shotgun in the gut and then up the jaw. The other got the butt of the MP5 in the ear before being kicked in the back of the knee and then shoved onto his back. "Anybody else tries something, they're dead! We will shoot you!"

Police cruisers drove up over the curb and into the parking lot. Two pylons on either side of the entrance had a thick white string attached to what looked to be wooden mop handles with a large sign saying, 'No Power. No Water.'

Two police cruisers going along the side of the road to block anyone from coming down the road with two officers putting up boundary tape to keep out the on-lookers.

Detective Conner Hawthorn stepped out of his car, fuzz of a beard on his face, blonde hair parted down the right side and combed over, blue eyes, board shoulders, 6'2, wearing a brown leather jacket with a navy blue v-neck shirt under to go with jeans and all black leather shoes.

"I am in charge of the situation, I have been informed of what is going on inside, what I want is a vest and a phone with a direct line to the cafe," he said in an Australian accent.

An officer tossed him a vest, Hawthorn took off his leather jacket, slipped on the vest and then put his jacket back on.

Another officer walked up wearing his hat, "from what you know, up till now, neither of the men in there have made any attempts to communicate. No phone calls going in and out since, it's all you."

"What I know is, there are two men in there that have planned this all well up until we arrived. They came heavy with am MP5 and a Remington 870 shotgun, we know nothing of names, appearance, only that they wanted the money from the register and the money from the customers. As far as I know, no one has been shot," Hawthorn called for a younger officer to step forward as the detective and the other cop walked to stand behind an open police cruiser door.

"When we pulled in, sir we heard shots go off, the MP5," the young officer reported, and Hawthorn sighed, and looked at the young officer, "thank you." Looking at the other officer who approached him moments ago he asked, "What's your name?"

The older officer lifted his hat off his head to pull the hair on the top of his head back, "Jimmy Falone, Sir," he answered, and Hawthorn looked up at the windows to see that Skull-face is pacing all the way from one end of the room to the other, most likely watching the hostages to make sure they didn't do anything, the other is standing at the counter.

Rebecca and Doc pull in, Rebecca having her badge ready to flash to get let in. Pulling in behind a cruiser, her old friend Officer Jimmy Dickens walks up. "Madsen, I didn't think you worked with these hostage situations," he commented, and she smirks at him as they speed walk up to the detective in charge.

"I don't usually, but that FBI guy who kicked us out of that homicide months ago is one of the hostages. He called me and Doc here called you," Rebecca smiled at his look of _oh, him_.

"Well, let me introduce you to newly instated, Detective Connor Hawthorn, sir this Rebecca Madsen with the FBI, formerly Detective Madsen," Jimmy introduced, and Hawthorn smiled at Rebecca.

"I've heard a lot about you," Hawthorn commented, holding out his right hand, and Rebecca shook it.

She looked him over with a quick glance, 'Australian accent, he has the build of the sports player who works out regularly.'

"I hope you haven't come to take over," he smiles at the petite woman with a gut feeling she'd have no trouble in putting him in his place if the time arose.

Rebecca shook her head, "no, not right now at least. My partner, Dr. Diego Soto and I are here just to assist, I want the same thing you want... get the hostages out alive and hopefully the gunmen in handcuffs." Having mostly worked homicides and now chasing down 63's, she wasn't about to jump into a hostage negotiation unless she knew she could find a way to gain control and end it quickly.

Doc eyed the detective as they made eye contact, and smiled warmly at the other man. 'I'll be watching you,' Doc thought as he smiled back.

Hawthorn looked at Falone, Madsen, then Doc and back at Madsen, "ready for the first call?" she nodded. He hit the send button and all of them turn to look at the cafe.

Snakeface is standing behind the counter, leaning on it, watching the hostages and his partner closely, the phone in the corner under the counter rang and he glanced down at it, "time to make the demands I suppose?" he shrugged, and Skull- face turned to look at him.

"Alright, stick to the plan," Skull face instructed, and Snake face could just see his partners mischievous grin.

"No problem," Snake-face picked up the phone and turned around to look out the large window. "Hello?"

"Hello there, this is Detective Connor Hawthorn, with whom am I speaking with?"

"Before I answer that, could you please raise your hand in the air so I know which of all of the suits is you?" Snake asked, and Hawthorn complied. "Ah! That's you! Well, you may call me Snake, Detective Hawthorn. Now I suppose you want our demands?"

Hawthorn looked at Falone, 'they are organized... he's calm... collected... it's like a game,' he thought, and looked back at the window, letting his arm go down. "Yes, what are your demands? And is everyone alright?"

'This sounds too easy... usually the officer identifies himself when things get hairy, desperate, when the criminals are up to no good. He wanted to know who he is talking to right away... they've got something planned,' Rebecca tapped on Falone's shoulder and motioned for him to step aside.

"Have your guys checked to see if there is anything in the schematics under the building, also, check the back of the building for any vehicles, even if they are company owned. I want them checked out, but do so quietly," Rebecca instructed quietly, and Falone nodded just as the van with the tech pulled up. He went to the back door and stepped inside to have the tech analysts go over the blue prints and hack into the surveillance footage before grabbing his walkie-talkie and instructing the men at the road block on what to look into.

"Oh yes, everyone is fine Connor, a few construction workers tried to jump me earlier. My partner put an end to it through, no one is shot. Hmmm... now our demands... well, we don't need anything to eat or drink because we're in a friggin' cafe and can just have an employee make everyone whatever they want!" Snake turned to look at the hostages and then at Skull.

"How about... you deliver a military grade Hummer to the front of the store, you clear the cruiser cars out of the way, slash at least 1 tire per car and we leave with," he set his shotgun down onto the counter, and rubbed his hand on his chin in a thinking matter, "four no five hostages for our own protection so you don't try anything and you have..." he looked at the clock up on the wall behind a bunch of hostages. "30 minutes."

Hawthorn nodded to himself, "alright, I will get right on that military grade Hummer for you. For us to do this, could you do something out of good faith and let some of the hostages go now?"

Snake chuckled, "I'll get back to you on that one. Let me know when that Hummer is on its way, thank you Detective Hawthorn."

He listened to the click for the line going dead, and then hung up his phone to walk into the tech van with Rebecca and Doc. Once the doors were closed, he leaned against the interior wall. "He wants an army grade Hummer brought to the front, and that when it gets here for the cruise cars to be pulled back to give room and one tire per car to be slashed. He said he'll get back to me on releasing hostages out of good faith... something is up, this almost feels like the movie The Inside Job."

Falone shook his head, "thankfully no vault and no safety deposit boxes to worry about in this case."

"They have a plan, something in the back of their minds, probably an escape route or something," Rebecca said and Falone looked at her.

"You were right to check out the back, even for company vehicles, there was a van and two cars out back. The cars belong to employees currently working shifts in there, we contacted the employer to find that out. However the van has rolls of duct tape, potato bags, rolls of wire and a pack of spray paint inside... did they think they can just slip out the back without my guys knowing?" Falone asked, exasperated.

Hawthorn folded his arms across his chest, "they want to bring five hostages so we don't try anything... all of the supplies but one makes sense. But the van out back feels like a decoy, who is it registered to?"

"It was reported as being stolen from a junk yard four days ago, it was in an accident from some teenagers five days ago. Crashed it into a light pole, scheduled to be crushed as it wasn't worth fixing up and no car dealership wanted it for parts, next morning poof, it's gone," one of the tech analysts answered from their computer.

"How much time did they ask for with this Hummer?" Rebecca asked, and Hawthorn looked at her.

"Thirty, though with it still being lunch hour rush, it'll take longer I'm sure," Hawthorn answered.

"You're right on that, with the rate of traffic now, it's going to take at max, hour and a half, in the least... one hour," the other tech analyst answered. "They're filling it up now."

"This is too damn easy... why go into a cafe, rob the cash register, take most of the money from the hostages and do... this?" Rebecca asked, rubbing the back of her head.

Doc looked up, "they're waiting on something," everyone looked at him, "they're in no rush, but they want the cop cars pulled out and a tire slashed each? It sounds like they're waiting for something to come to them... or they're a diversion! Do something small so the bigger crew can work on the bigger job!"

"It makes sense, only where would they go to rob? We need to check into the station for any reports of an armed robbery... maybe buildings that are actually dealing with their security being down for some reason," Hawthorn agreed, and one of the tech analysts started typing away while Falone picked up the phone to call into the station.

Rebecca looked over at Doc, she smiled, "nice work in thinking outside the box," she patted his shoulder and he smiled back.

Back in the cafe, Hauser's mind kept drifting to what the two men really had planned, he looks at Lucy. She looks calm and with it, "How are you holding up?" he whispers, and Lucy looks at him, she offered a small smile.

"I've been through worse, I know that Dr. Soto and Rebecca are working with the police to get us out of here. They probably also see that something else is going on and are trying to figure out what the goal is... a special escape route? They know this place is new, what could be under it? So many possibilities and I don't have the computers to find the answer," she smiled a little more at the thought.

Hauser put his arm around her shoulders, giving a gentle squeeze, "I'm sure this will all be over soon." Glancing over at Sampson, he looks like a nervous wreck, "at least our guy in the corner hasn't tried anything stupid. But I wouldn't put it past him to take a chance and run the first chance he gets."

He looks at Lucy again, "I'm sorry about this."

Lucy turned her head and looked at him, she gave him a thoughtful look, "Emerson, it's alright. I know that in no time we'll be out of this situation and it'll be back to a regular day. It was the thought that counted."

Snake and Skull are standing around watching the group of hostages, 'they're incredibly calm and patient... what is their goal at the end of all of this? They don't truly plan on leaving in a Hummer with five hostages, the police won't slash each of the car tires. These men seem too in control to just get ambushed, is there a get-away car they're waiting to come to the back where there is fewer cops?' Hauser sighed. 'Too many questions and I'll get all of the answers at the end of the day no doubt. Now I know how Madsen and Soto must feel with me.'

* * *

Falone hung up the phone, and looked between Rebecca and Hawthorn. "Well, a jewelry company's vault of seasonal necklaces, earrings and what not has been having difficulty with their security system. They informed us about it a couple of times and today they're having a new system installed, it is a few blocks away, they're sending a couple of squad cars to investigate and they'll call us back."

Looking at the security footage of the inside of the cafe, Hawthorn sighed, "I will call them up and inform them that the Hummer is going to take a while longer. Talk about getting some of those hostages out, if their people are trying to rob that vault, maybe disguising themselves as the installation crew. If there is a way of communication between the two teams, we need to be prepared if they get informed of the police coming. They could go to extremes with the hostages when they find out their plan fell through."

Rebecca looked up at him, "I'm coming with you," she looked at the tech analysts, "can we listen in?"

The one closest opened up a drawer with a few headsets inside, pressed the power button on each of them and watched the signal open up on the device for the phone line, "you're hooked up ma'am." The analyst handed the headsets over.

"Thanks," Rebecca slipped hers around her neck, and then passed one to Doc, and Falone grabbed the other set.

Turning to leave, Falone grabbed a vest and tapped her shoulder, she turned and looked at him. "You might want this, things are probably going to get hairy," he advised, and she took the vest.

Standing at the cruiser car with the driver side door open still, Hawthorn stared at the cafe, worry in his eyes as Doc watched him. "How many of these negotiations have you done?"

Hawthorn looks over at Doc and offers a smile, "this is actually my second one," he looks back at the cafe. "You can memorize all of the rules in the handbook cover to cover, but you can always get thrown a curve ball where you have to," he wet his lips in thought. "Improvise or get ready to deal with something you didn't see coming, think accordingly about how to get control again and act."

Doc nodded, 'a lot is riding on your shoulders, those hostages lives are in your hands... I wonder how his first time with hostage negotiations went,' he wondered.

Rebecca finally pulled up the rear, now wearing the vest under her shirt. She looked at Doc and then at Hawthorn. "Ready?" she asked, after a moment, Hawthorn nodded.

Hitting the talk button, Doc, Rebecca and Falone all put the headphones over their ears.

It took three rings before Snake picked up. "So Connor... how are things looking with my Hummer?" he asked casually.

Clearing his throat, "it is fuelled and on it's way over, but it is going to take longer than thirty minutes to get it here," Hawthorn paused, hoping that Snake would take the delay well.

"How are you going to make this up to me? I do have a schedule to keep, you know and that Hummer running over thirty minutes late isn't going to help!" Snake glanced over at Skull who just shook his head.

Hawthorn mulls it over, "you have food and drink, do you have another demand while we wait on your Hummer?" he asked just as Falone's phone went dead.

Snake turned to look out the window at everyone watching the cafe, "Ooooh... what more could I want... hmmm," his brow furrowed as he looked to Rebecca who is standing next to Connor. "How about you send in that lovely lady next to you?"

Doc and Hawthorn immediately looked at Rebecca who rolled her eyes, 'why is it always the woman?' she wondered.

Hawthorn covers the receiver. "I am not sending you in," he said, Doc immediately felt relief, but Rebecca's eyebrows went up.

'This is a way we can get more hostages out,' she realized. Looking at Hawthorn, she placed her hand onto his arm for him to look at her with curiosity. "Do an exchange, I go in if he lets go of hostages," Rebecca suggested and he bit his bottom lip, staring at her for a few moments.

'It would be nice to get some hostages out of there... but sending her in, I'd rather be the one going in to talk face to face,' Hawthorn thought and shook his head. "No, if he's going to get someone, it'll be me. Not you."

Going back to the phone, Rebecca began to protest, but Hawthorn interrupted. "Take me instead and you let go of four hostages," Hawthorn rebounded hearing a deep sigh come from Snake.

"As tempting as that offer is... no. I want that little lady next to you in exchange for three hostages," Snake counters. "Besides, it looks like she wants to come in here," he chuckles like he is beginning to win the game.

Falone covered up his own mic on his phone, "Sir," Hawthorn looks over, and Falone motioned for him to come over.

Covering up his own mouthpiece, Hawthorn stepped over to him. His eyes going back and forth, he looks over all officers whom have their focus on the building ahead of them. "We have a task force nearly here, we can stall until they get here to take those two out."

Hawthorn shakes his head, "No, killing is an absolute last resort."

Doc looks at Rebecca, "I don't think you should be going in there," he said, and Rebecca gives him an understanding look.

"I know, but if these guys really are working a robbery on the side, and they catch wind of it. Those hostages are going to be the target of their anger, we have to get as many of them out of there as possible, remember the bank robber you helped me sneak in on?" Rebecca asked, and Doc gave her the look of _not this time_.

"Yes, but this is way different! You are walking up, weaponless again, and instead of one guy it is two, both are armed and you aren't trying to sneak them out. And to get out of being his hostage, you had to crash a police cruiser! You just got out of the hospital a week ago," Doc stated, and Rebecca looked at him in the eye.

"Doc... I've got this... you know that," Rebecca said, her tone softer as she knew he was trying to look out for her. She watched his eyes soften.

Glancing up at the windows of the cafe, Doc returns his attention to Rebecca. "Be careful."

Turning to face Hawthorn, he didn't look sold, but knew that what she had said was true. If they were right about a side operation, they needed to save as many hostages as possible. "Alright... I'll tell him."

Hawthorn turned back to the cafe, removing his hand from the mic as Rebecca took her primary gun out of the holster and was about to reach down for her spare gun, but Doc put his hand on her shoulder making her look up at him.

"I've got your back," Doc said, and Rebecca took that as a hint to keep the gun on her. 'They're right now fully confident everything is going to work out, they won't expect her to be bringing anything extra. Please Rebecca, keep your spare on you.'

'What he is asking me to do is incredibly risky, but if they see me as just being a woman who needs protecting... maybe that's the edge I'll need,' Rebecca nodded and turned to the cafe.

"Alright, she is coming in, send out three hostages when she approaches," Hawthorn instructed, watching as Rebecca walked up to the building with her hands up in surrender.

Snake looked at the hostages behind him, he then points at the young newly married couple, and the pregnant woman. "You, you and you – up! You're leaving," he instructed, and the three stood, walking to the door just as Rebecca got there. The pregnant woman held her swollen belly, worry in her eyes turning into relief as she stepped through first. The guy let his woman step out first and followed her out, Rebecca took a slow breath and stepped inside.

Hanging up the phone, Snake smirked. "Now, what is your name miss?" he asked, his tone still playful as he walked out from behind the counter and leaving his shotgun on the counter.

Rebecca's eyes skimmed over the cafe, finding Hauser and Lucy at the other end, 'for the most part, the hostages look okay, Lucy and Hauser look like they're handling this fine.' Her attention went to Snake, wishing she could see a face, 'you really plan on getting out of this without anyone seeing who you are.'

"I am Rebecca Madsen," she answered, and picked up on the nervous Owen Sampson in the back corner to her left, on the opposite end from her two colleagues.

Snake walked over to her in a cocky way as if he thought he was untouchable. "Your a small woman... but I'm sure you can pack quite the punch," Snake commented, and she could see the mask shifting, figuring he was grinning in some way under there.

'Well... at least your not thinking of searching me,' she thought, 'okay... time to change the topic from being on me to the situation.'

"So... why go and rob a cafe?" Rebecca asks, and Snake glances over at Skull, and then looks back at her. "I know it is a successful chain, and this is the most recent to open, but why a cafe?"

Skull gave a hearty laugh, "That's the thing! You cops dunno what goes on in our heads while we do these things! This robbery is perfect, we have it all planned out," he walked towards her. "We are in complete control, when it's all over you'll be kicking yourself."

"Oh would you shut up already and let us go!" one of the teenage girls a couple feet away from Sampson snapped. She looked nervous, but also like she has a fire in her eyes.

Both of the guys turned around to look at her, and Skull walked over to her and crouched just a feet away from her, holding his gun casually in his hands. "It will all be over soon enough, don't you worry your pretty little head," he said.

'Damn it... I wish I had something to take out Snake in front of me and whip out my gun to maybe disarm Skull. There is no way I can get them both to surrender with my gun, they'd shoot me... I need to subdue Snake first... what do I have around me?' Rebecca wondered, glancing around the counter and the shelves.

"Do not belittle me... what kind of robbers are you? She's right! What are you coming away with? Five, maybe nine hundred dollars? You guys don't know how to pick your places to rob!"

The shotgun was too far away. There were some Stewarts Key Lime soda bottles in their six pack packages under the counter, one was close and open. Rebecca returned her attention back to the two guys just as Snake turned around to focus on her again.

"Heh-heh... how do you know we want to start small and work up to the big leagues?" Skull asked, and tapped the side of his head. "Your not the criminal, so stop trying to figure out how it is we think, it'll hurt your head less," she could just hear the grin in his voice as he stood back up and turned away.

The cafe grew dark as rain clouds loomed over the building. A beeping was heard, everyone but the robbers looks at them in confusion, however Rebecca's heart took a flip. 'Oh shit... a pager,' the robbers looked at one another and then Snake lifted the bottom of his shirt to reveal the pager.

Looking at the bottles, Rebecca reached over and as quietly as possible pulled one bottle out, her eyes on the back of Snake's head as he pulled the pager out to read 'COPS!' and he looks up at Skull. His face went red in fury that their plans had fallen through.

Rebecca slams the bottle into the back of Snake's head, the soda spills, and the glass shatters. His eyes roll up and he starts to fall faster than she expected. She goes for her spare gun, pulling it out just as Snake fell onto his face, and Skull lifts his MP5 and pulls the trigger.

Diving behind the counter, wood splintering everywhere, everyone outside lurched when they saw Rebecca make her move. Everyone outside the cafe looks at Hawthorn waiting for orders.

'One is down and the other one is shooting at Madsen... until the shooting stops I can't send them in there. Or until someone reports that they see a hostage, the other guy or Madsen is down,' he looks out at the officers, Falone and her partner. He then looks back at the cafe.

"Can anyone see what is happening? I need eyes people!" Hawthorn orders, and Falone quickly radioed the tech analysts in the van.

"What is going on in there?" he asks and waited with baited breath.

"Madsen knocked out Snake, the guy Hawthorn was talking with. Then, his buddy started shooting at Madsen, who took cover behind the counter, the hostages were all watching and making sure to stay away from him. However, one man in a corner looks like he is ready to jump in, and so do the construction workers," the tech analyst reported.

Rebecca tried to look over the counter, but Skull fired, and she covers her head to protect herself from the wood and anything on the counter; glass, ceramic mugs, ceramic plates.

"Come out now!" Skull orders, and starts to walk towards the opening, Rebecca hurried off to the other end, she stands up and fires, just missing him twice. He raises his MP5 and fires back.

'Shit... where is he going to come from?' she wonders, and looks around to spot Hauser and Lucy, Hauser mouthed the word 'Move!' and she inwardly rolled her eyes. 'Great... is he on the inside of the counter or the outside?' she moved to the outside, to see him just a few feet away.

She fires, and catches him in the upper chest in a non fatal spot. He flinched, and fires, much to her surprise. Three bullets go across her midsection, their impacts to the vest catching her off guard and she stumbles back into a tall round table for support. Lucy and Hauser's eyes went wide in shock and fear at what they had just seen.

Clutching to keep herself up, Skull walkes up to her as Rebecca focused on controlling her breathing. He lifts the bottom of his shirt to reveal his own bullet proof vest. He grins at her, "looks like I'm not the only one with a surprise," he said in a low cool voice.

'Oh no... shoot!' Rebecca raises her gun to kill him, but he advanced too quickly and grabs her right wrist with his left hand, holding the gun away. Just as quickly as he advanced, he grabs her by the throat with his right hand.

Rebecca's mind flashed back to Redwood Lodge as he lifts her and turns her towards the counter. She kicks at his legs, his crotch, nothing. Skull lifts her a bit and then pushes her down so her head and shoulders are on the counter, her gun is still being held away, and his grip around her throat tightened.

Her jaw clenched, his body pinning her so she can't kick, slide, roll. 'Damn it... I can't breath! I need to find some way-'

Hauser saw this as an opportunity and so do the construction workers, all four of them advance. Hauser was first to grab Skull's left forearm, elbowing him in the side while one of the construction workers grab for the right arm, working on prying his hand off of her throat.

Rebecca looks around to see and feel the grips each loosen on her, she watches as an arm moved around Skull's neck, tighten, and pulls him back. Both hands on her release, and she starts gasping for air, and sat up as the last construction worker kicked Skull in the back of the knees making him fall.

Reaching to the back of her pants, she whips out her handcuffs as Hauser and the second man brought Skull's arms to the middle of his back to slap the handcuffs on. "Well done Madsen," Hauser comments for them to hear the back door to the employees area open, they both look over to see it close. "Sampson," Hauser hissed in irritation and looks at Rebecca. She takes off running for the back door to hear gunshots go off.

Hawthorn, Falone, Doc and everyone else watched as Rebecca shot, got shot, and then got overpowered by Skull. Relief but panic still in them when they watched the men come to her rescue, holding their breath to wait and see if the man would regain control or if they would finally get him down.

"Yes!" Hawthorn grinned for the rain to start coming down and the other officers relaxed some, he looks away just as Sampson made his move to get away to smile at Doc. "Your partner is good-" he is cut off to hear the gunshots go off, Doc watched as Sampson took off through the back door and watched Rebecca take off after him.

"Oh no..." Doc backed up, took the headphones off, and starts running back to get into Rebecca's car, 'no... I will not let it happen again! I will be there for her if and when she needs me! You are not on your own with this 63! Not this time!' he slid into the drivers side, and reached up to the visor to pull it down for the keys to land in his hands. He watches as Hawthorn starts running around the building.

"Take the two robbers away and take care of the hostages! I'm going after Madsen!" Hawthorn ordered.

When Sampson got out the back of the building, the cops hadn't expected to see anyone coming out the back. It wasn't until they saw the gun that they realized he could be one of the robbers attempting to escape. "Hold it!" they ordered and Sampson fired, making them take cover as he ran as fast as his legs would take him with Rebecca hot on his heels.

He turned right to go down an alley to avoid pedestrians on the street. Rebecca followed after him, holstering her weapon for the time being until she could get a clear shot. Hawthorn came from around the building and saw an officer looking in the direction of the alley, "I've got it! Send back-up!" he ordered them, and Doc pulls out onto the street and starts down the road to see the direction Hawthorn was going in. 'Okay, right at the corner, another right and catch up!'

Sampson took off across the street and ran down it to make a left down the next road. He glanced over his shoulder to see Rebecca gaining on him. Hawthorn came out of the alley to see Rebecca taking off down a street, Doc was stuck with a red light and a senior crossing the road with her walker. 'Move it!' he grips the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. 'Hang on Rebecca... I'm coming.'

Hair sticking to the sides of her face, Rebecca saw that within a couple of minutes she'd be on him. At the next street he made a right, 'still downhill... come on...' she thought, and goes around the corner to be met by a bunch of construction workers who were putting up a road block. When she ran by, a couple of them shouted at her and Sampson, the construction site just further down the hill with a wall already built facing them, no ceilings, no roofs. Just muddy ground and frame work.

"Your not allowed back here!" the workers shout, but they continue.

Hawthorn reached the corner of the street going downhill. 'She's not down there... must have turned off down that road ahead... she must be chasing someone who is literally running for their life,' he assumed, and kept running. The Mustang pulled up around the corner and spots Hawthorn running across the road, Doc looks down the street.

"Shit... where did they go?" he wonders, being forced to wait for a gap in the traffic in order make the turn. Doc bit his lip in frustration. "Come on... someone give me a friggin' gap! My partner needs me!"

Sampson reached the wall and ran around it, pulling his gun out. The construction workers near him were about to tell him to get off the site till they saw the gun. Taking off for cover and to call 911. His gun ready, he listens closely, knowing she is about to reach him.

Rebecca took her gun out and slowed as he turned a corner, 'shit... what is he going to use to his advantage in here?' she wondered, and quickly turned the corner. He turned and fired just as Rebecca ran by, the gun going off next to her right ear making her instantly deaf.

Both Hawthorn and Doc hear the gunshot, to others in the area they're taken off guard by the sound knowing it wasn't thunder.

Dropping her gun as her balance is suddenly off, Rebecca's hands try grabbing for something . As she stumbles and slides on the freshly wet dirt ground, she blinks as her ears start ringing, and finally stopping at a large piece of frame work stuck in the ground.

Turning around, she watches Sampson walk up and punch her in the stomach, only the vest absorbs most of the punch, 'thank you vest!' She looks at Sampson and punches him in the chin, catching him off guard for him to stumble back.

Hawthorn reaches the road block and the construction workers see him coming. They hurried out in front of him. "Sir, you're not allowed through here! This road is off limits!"

Hawthorn pulls out his badge, "I am on police business! Let me pass!" he orders, and they step aside allowing him to pass, his wet bangs bounding off of his forehead as he runs.

Doc pulls up to the road block and slammed on his brakes, "let me through!" he shouts through the driver's side window.

The workers hold up their hands, "This road is off limits to the public, you cannot come through, continue down the street and make a right to get down there!" a man instructed.

"My partner is down there, if you don't move I am driving through this barricade!" Doc threatened.

Taking advantage, she charged and tackles him, forcing her shoulder into his stomach. He drops his gun and lands hard on the wet ground with an, "Oof!"

She climbs on top of him and punches him in the right temple. "You made Lucy, Ernest and me crash!" she exclaims, and punches him again in the left cheek.

The workers didn't take Doc seriously and stayed where they were. Doc backed up and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, the car's wheels squealing as the men all look on, wide eyed and finally moving out of the way.

Rebecca grabs Sampson by the collar of his shirt, ready to pull him to his feet and pin him so she could arrest him, but he hooks his legs in front of hers, his hands on her hips, he forces her up and over his head to land on her back in the mud. She quickly got to her hands and knees, the mud sliding off her hands as she stood, slowly to see him looking at his gun just a couple feet away him.

'Oh no...' she glances to see her gun is closer, she looks back at him and they make eye contact for a few seconds. He turns and makes a go for his gun, she runs for her own gun.

Sampson saw that she was going to get her gun first, he crouches, and picks up a glob of mud in his left hand and threw it at her. She wasn't expecting the dirty move, and gets nailed in the face by the mud. She stumbles past her gun, hands going up to clean the mud away from her eyes.

He snatches his gun and stops, aiming it at her. She wiped her eyes of the mud as it dripped off of her fingers. Her heart skips a beat, 'oh shit...' she knew before opening her eyes that he has his gun on her and she is at his mercy.

She opens her eyes hearing running footsteps coming to a stop behind her, and hears car breaks screeching to a halt.

Sampson grins, 'I finally got her,' he thinks, as Rebecca holds her hands up in surrender.

"NO!" Doc screams as he looks at the situation in horror. Seeing Sampson's gun trained on her, Doc spots Hawthorn to his right with his gun on Sampson. 'No... I can't be too late... not again,' Doc thought, his heart starting to beat faster in his chest.

"Drop the gun, you don't want to do this," Hawthorn said, but Rebecca knew Sampson wasn't listening.

Owen Sampson's attention is fully on her, her eyes flicked to the barrel of the gun seeing it is aimed at her head. She can hear her heartbeat in her ears, a chill going up her spine as her eyes went up to meet his.

'Please no... not again... he knows she has a vest... Sampson isn't going to go for a shot to the heart,' ran through Doc's mind as he stood there frozen.

Watching the rain pouring on them all, her hair soaked, jacket darker and shining with mud on it, same with her pants. The same is true for Hawthorn, his hair having flattened against his head from the rain, his jacket shining from the rain, and his pants are soaked. Sampson has a bruise starting up on his left temple, his eyes are cold and dark, his clothes soaked and muddied, his attention fully on Rebecca.

"Lower your weapon," Hawthorn requested again, watching Sampson's eyes and his index finger on the trigger of the gun.

'There is no getting out of this... a kill shot to the head and it'll be all over... I'm sorry Doc that you have to watch this,' Rebecca thought. She couldn't calculate whether Hawthorn was going to shoot before Sampson. She doesn't know his timing, his accuracy or anything.

Rebecca sees the look in his eyes. 'I'm sorry Uncle Ray,' she thought as Sampson's finger tightens.

Bang! Sampson's left shoulder jerked back and then his body. His eyes widening, he stumbled back and fell onto his back. Hawthorn rushed forward, his gun trained on him. He kicked Sampson's gun away and whipped out his own handcuffs. Putting his gun away and turning the young man onto his stomach, he bound Sampson's wrists together.

Rebecca stood there, in a state of shock. 'he got him... Hawthorn stopped him!' her hands lowered, and she heard Doc rush up behind her. He walks to stand in front of her and looks at her. His eyes are filled with worry, and she can't tell if tears are running down his cheeks or if it is the rain.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice sounding like he is close to the breaking point.

She stared at him for a moment and then it hit her. 'He blames himself for not being there when Tommy stabbed me... he didn't want to get to me too late again,' Rebecca realized, and forced a smile to try and reassure him. "I'm alright," she answered finally, and not a second later he wrapped his arms around her in a fierce hug.

At first she was taken off guard by his sudden hug, and then he whispered, "I was so afraid I wouldn't get to you in time," and then she heard and felt it. His body shook a little as she wrapped her arms around him, he gasped as she knew he was crying, thankful that Hawthorn fired before Sampson almost killed her.

Relief flooded her own body at the realization of what her body and mind has been going through since Tommy had stabbed her; she came back, then the plane crash, fighting to stay alive, finally catching the man responsible for it and feeling as though she almost didn't make it this time. She took a deep breath, "I'm still here Doc," she soothed, as much for herself as for him. "I'm still here."

* * *

Hawthorn wasn't thrilled when Hauser took Sampson away with his own people, much like most of the police officers Hauser had to deal with when getting a 63.

When Hauser got there, the rain finally let up, Hawthorn told Hauser of what happened when he got there. However, his eyes were almost glued to Rebecca the whole time, worry in his eyes. Rebecca had been sitting in the back of an ambulance as they looked her over for any injuries, while Doc stood by and watched.

Rebecca let out a sigh of relief when the vest slid off once the Velcro was removed. Doc had to admit, she was looking better than she did when Hawthorn cuffed Sampson, having awareness in her eyes again.

"Thank you Detective, that will be all," Hauser said and turned to head over to Rebecca. Lucy had just finished talking with some of their people who were taking Sampson away, and joined them. Hauser looks at Rebecca with some concern, but his mask is up. "How are you feeling?" he asked, and she looks up at him casually.

"I'm feeling fine," Rebecca answered, the holes from the MP5 showing in her dark shirt.

"Tell me what happened when you got here with him," Hauser requested, and Rebecca looks over at the edge of the wall.

"He was waiting for me around that corner, when I ran past he shot, his gun went off next to my right ear which stunned me. I dropped my gun then," Rebecca said and looked over at the frame work for the building. "I stopped there, he punched but the vest absorbed, so I punched him in the head, then tackled him. That's when he lost his gun, I let some of my anger out on him for the crash..." she saw in the corner of her eye that Lucy was looking at her. "I punched him a couple of times for it, I was ready to pin and cuff him when he threw me off of him, I saw my gun was closer and went for it. He threw mud at my eyes, got his gun while I cleared my vision and then I realized," she let out a breath, looking up at Hauser. "I was unarmed and he had his gun on me... Hawthorn and Doc then showed up, Hawthorn tried to talk Sampson down, but he had his focus on me and not the gun aimed at him. Then Hawthorn shot Sampson."

Hauser nodded, the last bit of her story adding up with Hawthorn's, as he'd feared. He glanced at Doc and then looked at Rebecca, "take the rest of the day off, you did good." He wasn't about to go after her for letting her anger out on Sampson, as he has done the same in the past. Only he shot the 63's.

In a way, Rebecca was happy to have the rest of the day off, in another way, she wanted to be kept busy and make herself exhausted to sleep it all off. She gave a small smile, "thanks," she stands up and looks at Doc and he held up the keys.

"I'm driving to wherever you wanna go, this is your afternoon, partner," Doc said with a smirk and she smiled a genuine smile at him. Hauser turned to Lucy, seeing concern in her eyes.

"Thanks Doc," Rebecca said as they walk to her Mustang.

Hauser lowered his voice. "She'll be fine," he assured Lucy as she looked up at him.

"I know she will... I was just thinking it isn't fair. It feels like her job has gone from being dangerous to life threatening three times in one year, I know her job before wasn't easy. But chasing down the worlds worst criminals is hardly something to bat an eyelash at," Lucy said, and watched Hawthorn run up to the Mustang's passenger door where Rebecca was about to get in.

"Madsen," Hawthorn said and she looked up, confusion on her face as he approached. "Let me take you out for a drink tonight."

Rebecca smiles at him and shakes her head. Doc started to glare at him from the driver's seat, but lessened it when Hawthorn glanced at him. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine."

Hawthorn studied her for a moment. "After what you've been through today, having a gun aimed at your head is not something you'll sleep off easily. Please, let me take you out for some drinks," he looks her in the eye, seeing she is mauling it over.

She finally gave a sigh of acceptance. "Alright, where and when?" Rebecca asks, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"I'll pick you up at your apartment, for say 6:00?" Hawthorn offered, and Rebecca nodded.

"Alright, 6:00 at my place," Rebecca said with a smile, 'it'll be nice to get out for drinks. Not that I don't go out with Doc,' she took her seat, closes the door and buckles up as Doc turned the engine on. 'He does have nice eyes though,' she thought as she looks at Hawthorn.

"So... where to?" Doc asked, trying not to be awkward. He is feeling protective of Rebecca, seeing guys hitting on her.

"Hmmm... clothing shopping," she grinned, mostly to get a reaction out of him on the idea of going clothes shopping with her.

"Alright, what store?" Doc asked and she blinked at him.

"We don't have to go clothing shopping Doc, I know how much guys hate it," Rebecca said, speaking from experience with Ray when she was younger.

Doc turned a bit in his seat to look at her in the eye. "Hey, if you want to go clothing shopping, we'll go and look at clothes. I don't mind, seriously. Now, where do you want to go?"

Surprised by this, her eyebrows went up. "Okay... let's go to the mall."

* * *

It didn't take long for 6:00 to roll in, Rebecca didn't do much shopping, she browsed, bought a few new shirts and was done pretty fast. She honestly wasn't interested in shopping, but she knew she had to come up with something, and in that moment she didn't want to go to a shooting range to take out frustration on targets. Doc waited patiently outside the changing rooms. At first he felt awkward about it, giving Rebecca his opinion on the shirts she tried on, and how they fit. He didn't want to think of her in that way or see her in that way, but once she stepped out in the casual shirts he knew she'd wear for work, he got over it after the first three shirts she pulled on.

She changed her shirt to one of the new ones, being casual, and Hawthorn came at 5:55, pulling up in front of the bar she smiled. "This is my Uncle Ray's bar," she said, and he looks at her surprised.

"Really? I just started coming here a few days ago, nice and small, not overly crowded," Hawthorn commented as he stepped out of the car.

Walking in together, Ray looked over and smiled when he spotted Rebecca walking in. "Hey Becky, what can I get for ya?" he asked, she took up her usual seat at the bar and Connor sat next to her.

"Scotch on the rocks, please," she requested and Connor mauls the selection in his head over.

"Any light beer will do, sir. I'm driving," Connor requested, and Ray nodded, turning away to grab a glass and make up Rebecca's drink first before pouring Connor a draft. "Her drinks are on me."

Ray looks at Rebecca with a mix of concern and happiness. She sighed before taking a sip, "hostages, he had control of the situation, it was a hard day for me so he offered to take me out for drinks."

Looking at Connor, Ray gave him his beer. "Ahhh... I see, was anyone shot?"

Connor smiled and took a mouthful of his beer, "Rebecca wore a vest and so did the guy she was up against, only one was shot in the shoulder. So in the end, it was a good day," he set the tall glass down and Rebecca took another sip of her drink.

"I heard that a robbery was stopped before it even happened earlier today too," Ray commented, going to the small sink to rinse a couple of beer glasses and dry them.

"That one was connected to our hostage situation; our smaller robbery was a decoy. Doc figured it out, we acted and then... they found out," Rebecca smiled, remembering how she had to act quickly before the situation got out of her control.

Nodding, Ray gave a sigh and then looked over his shoulder at one of his customers waving him down. "Excuse me," he said and walked down. Rebecca could tell what the sigh was from.

'He was afraid a 63 was behind it... he really wants me to stop going after them,' she bit her bottom lip and Connor turned to face her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, wondering if she was thinking about her ordeal from earlier, or if something else is bothering her.

"I'll be right back, I need to talk to my Uncle about something," she answered, standing up she walked down the bar to being in between Connor and his other regular customers. Ray looked over and Rebecca leaned in. "We need to talk," she said after he gave the man his refresher.

Moving over to where she is, he stood there, looking down at Rebecca expectantly.

"I know your feelings about my hunting down the 63's," Rebecca watched as his eyebrows went up and he started to lean in to say something, but she jumped in. "I know... I've died once," she hated saying that, she watched Ray give a flinch, a pang of pain at the memory. "And now I've crashed in a plane and fought for my life in the woods... and then today, the man who made it so the plane would crash was one of the hostages that I chased down." He looked at her seriously, hands on the counter. "He was the one who got shot... I've been going through a lot with the hunting of the 63's. I know you want me to stop, but I want to keep going – so we need to come to an agreement."

"Like what? I don't want to get called into the hospital and see you unconscious on a stretcher with a large amount of blood loss... seeing you that pale. And not to mention getting a call that you're being hunted by a bunch of killers in the woods and no one knows where. I am all ears!" Ray said, frustration dripping in his voice and written all over his face.

Holding her ground, "I know... I know you've been wanting to have this talk with me for a while. I am good at what I do, I have a great team backing me just like with the SFPD. However, I know that my life is getting more and more threatened the deeper I get into it... so I want to make a deal with you," he stared at her. He already knew he wasn't going to like what she has to say, but inside he knew they have to come to some sort of an agreement as he hates feeling so distant from her because of his disapproval and fear of losing her. Again.

"What if I keep going until we get Tommy?" Rebecca said and his eyes go wide, his face goes a shade red, he opens his mouth again to argue. "He put me in the hospital... I know, but I want to get him. I need to be the one who gets him, and once I do I'll stop."

Ray's head bent down, and he ran his right hand through his short hair and rubs the back of his neck before looking at her again. "Revenge isn't the answer, Rebecca, you shouldn't be chasing him," Ray said in a low tone.

Leaning in more, Rebecca let the words draw out. "Uncle Ray, he stabbed me... He killed me... I wanted answers and that is what it got me. Next time... I am getting my answers and I am getting justice for what he has done to our family and me." Rebecca presses her right index finger into the counter, staring at Ray in his right eye. "This isn't so much as being revenge but closure... I need to end it Ray. Let me do this, catch whoever comes our way up until we finally find Tommy and put an end to it all for us."

In her head, Rebecca wasn't sure that what was driving her into wanting to catch Tommy was revenge. 'For the time being, it's closure until I finally get to Tommy,' she decided, watching his eyes to see it is all going through his head.

'This is her solution, her compromise? Damn it Becky... I know how badly you want to get Tommy, just as badly as I want to get him for what he did to you. I don't want to say yes and then find out your going up against someone worse that I used to watch over in that prison,' Ray thought, and he sighed.

"Rebecca... what if over time you don't catch him for a month, two months, six months or even a year? What if another 63 kills him before you get to him?" Ray asked, and Rebecca pursed her lips together.

"If I can find no resolution in sight, and if I feel that my life is becoming more threatened I'll stop. If they target me however," she watched his suddenly worried eyes, "if they come after me only, I'll have no choice but to stay in protection, because me on my own with them wanting me no matter what. I won't last, but if say four months pass and I don't find him and there is no resolution in sight, I'll drop it. But only if things don't go to hell before that, if I don't find resolution I'll stop and if I find him, I'll stop."

Ray studied her for a moment. 'I don't see you finding any resolution in not finding him... but I do know that things can happened between now and four months. It all depends on how hectic things get and how much the risk is going to grow. If her life starts to get more threatened however... this is better than what she had going between us before the plane crash.' Reaching his left hand over and taking her right hand in his, he gives a gentle squeeze. "Alright Becky, we have an agreement," he gave her a small sad smile and she gave him one back.

She knew he still doesn't like it, but having an agreement is better than nothing, and he knew it.

"Thanks Uncle Ray," Rebecca said, a weight lifting off her shoulders and she could see a little coming off of his. 'He's still going to be worrying about me until this is all over,' Rebecca gave his hand a squeeze.

The man who'd called Ray earlier started to wave him down again, Ray lets go of her hand, "I'll talk to you soon," he smiled to assure her and she nodded.

Standing up she went back to her seat to see that the ice cubes had melted most of the way. She took a mouthful and made a face, "I was afraid of that," she muttered under her breath, and Connor watched her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, he had been glancing over now and then to see the topic wasn't a nice one, he made sure not to listen in though.

"Yeah, things are improving," Rebecca smiled at him, meeting his blue eyes again, she turned to face him. "Alright, so tell me about yourself," she said with a smirk and took another mouthful of her drink.

The End

* * *

So, what did you think? This ending chapter was a lot of work for me, tell me what you thought, what you enjoyed, etc.

This story exceeded what I thought would come of it, I am very proud of it and I wanted to be sure it was done to the best of my ability. So I hunted for Beta's, I know it was finished ages ago, but hey. Better late than never ^_^

Oh and the guy I tried to describe as Connor is Chris Hemsworth, I saw a photo of him in the drivers seat of a car.

Started: Sunday April. 8, 2012

Finished: Wednesday June. 6, 2012 at 12:22p.m.

By: SLITH


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